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The    PEC  OS  6 

VAL  L  E Y 


-/H 


New 


Twentieth    Thousand. 
January,    I go 3. 


THE  PECOS  VALLEY. 

00 

Why  This  Book  Is  Published. 

00 

This  little  book  is  issued  to  inform  those  who  may  be  inter- 
ested in  knowing  of  the  conditions  in  the  irrigated  agricultural 
district  known  as  the  Pecos  Valley  of  New  Mexico.  It  is  intended 
to  relate  in  the  plainest  fashion  the  facts  as  they  may  be  found 
and  demonstrated  by  any  investigator  —  facts  as  to  climate,  agri- 
culture, stock-raising,  fruit-raising  and  other  industries,  markets, 
cost  and  all  the  other  details  of  importance  to  every  prospective 
settler. 

The  information  has  been  gathered  at  first  hand  from  the 
men  who  have  done  and  are  doing  the  very  things  here  described. 
The  pictures  interspersed  through  the  book  are  typical  of  the 
region,  and  are  selected  to  illustrate  graphically  the  facts  related 
in  the  text.  There  has  been  no  effort  to  embellish  the  tale  with 
picturesque  descriptions  or  glowing  prophecies.  The  plain  facts, 
plainly  stated,  may  better  speak  for  themselves. 

It  will  be  shown  that  in  this  region  the  farmer  and  the  stock- 
raiser  may  find  conditions  peculiarly  favorable  for  his  industry 
and  his  profit,  wholesome  in  the  surroundings  and  generally 
attractive.  The  Pecos  Valley  proper  is  a  district  where  highly 
developed  farms,  stock  ranches,  orchards  and  gardens  and 
thrifty  communities  prove  the  possibilities. 

The  Pecos  Valley  has  made  wide  fame  for  itself  in  the  last 
fifteen  years  as  the  scene  of  noteworthy  agricultural  and  indus- 
trial development  by  means  of  some  of  the  most  comprehensive 
irrigation  works  ever  attempted  in  the  world.  Geographically,  it 
it  a  particularly  well-defined  region,  not  to  be  confused  with  any 
other. 

The  Rio  Pecos,  a  historical  river  of  importance  since  the  days 
of  the  very  earliest  of  the  Spanish  explorers,  rises  in  a  range  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains  in  north-central  New  Mexico,  near  Las 
Vegas,  and  not  far  from  Santa  Fe,  the  ancient  and  modern  capital. 
Receiving  in  its  upper  course  numerous  small  mountain  tribu- 
taries, it  then  flows  almost  directly  south  through  the  eastern  half 
of  the  territory.  Its  ultimate  river  outlet  is  into  the  Rio  Grande, 


Geography  of  the  Valley,  and  Some    History. 

after  a  tortuous  course  southeastward  to  the  international  bound- 
ary between  the  United  States  and  Mexico. 

What  is  known  agriculturally  and  commercially  as  the  Pecos 
Valley,  and  therefore  described  in  this  pamphlet,  is  that  favored 
part  of  the  river  course  through  Chaves  and  Eddy  counties,  the 
southeastern  counties  of  New  Mexico.  The  Pecos  Valley  Lines, 
a  portion  of  the  great  Santa  Fe  System,  extend  north  and  south 
throughout  the  length  of  the  valley,  uniting  all  the  flourishing 
towns  and  rural  communities  and  affording  facile  communica- 
tion with  all  the  outlying  markets  in  either  direction. 

The  entire  district  thus  characterized  is  thoroughly  watered  by 
comprehensive  irrigation  systems,  and  the  richest  of  alfalfa,  fruit 
and  vegetable  crops  are  produced  here,  as  well  as  the  finest  herds 
of  cattle  and  sheep. 

It  seems  but  fair  to  allot  a  paragraph  to  the  history  of  this 
interesting  region,  which  is  to  have  more  ample  space  for  an 
account  of  its  later  development  and  its  present  condition.  In  the 
prehistoric  days  what  we  know  as  the  Pecos  Valley  was  undoubt- 
edly one  of  the  favored  abiding  places  for  those  primitive  races 
which  depended  upon  their  flocks  and  herds  for  sustenance,  and 
for  the  few  who  tilled  the  soil.  True  it  is  that  the  more  moun- 
tainous, rocky  regions  to  the  north  and  west  have  better  preserved 
the  curious  architectural  remains  of  the  cliff  dwellers  and  their 
kin,  but  enough  is  found  in  this  valley  to  prove  that  it  was  the 
happy  home  of  peaceful  tribes. 

Coming  down  to  the  days  of  the  Spanish  occupation,  the  valley 
rises  into  immediate  importance.  Coronado  himself,  the  great 
explorer,  in  his  marvelous  march  to  Quivera,  which  ended  in 
northern  Kansas  in  1541,  crossed  the  Pecos  river  on  his  northward 
journey  and  again  on  his  return  toward  Mexico.  Forty  years  later 
Espejo  entered  the  valley  with  an  expedition  from  the  northwest, 
and  marched  southward  throughout  the  entire  length  of  it.  He 
found  the  plains  covered  with  immense  herds  of  buffaloes,  fatten- 
ing on  the  rich  grasses  that  have  brought  wealth  to  so  many 
ranchmen  in  later  years,  since  beef  cattle  succeeded  those  wild 
herds  of  the  past. 

From  that  time  the  Pecos  Valley  was  a  familiar  road  for  many 


More  History;  a  Land  of  Peace. 

an  explorer  and  missionary  of  the  Spanish  regime.  As  soon  as 
industrial  life  extended  this  far  from  the  southern  provinces  of 
Mexico  under  Spanish  rule,  cattle  began  to  be  bred  and  grazed 
on  these  plains,  as  they  were  throughout  the  great  Southwest. 
Then  through  all  the  political  changes,  from  Spanish  to  Mexican 
rule,  and  from  Mexican  to  that  of  the  United  States,  there  was 
little  alteration  until  the  era  of  railways  and  irrigation  began,  less 
than  twenty  years  ago.  The  Pecos  Valley  was  favored  by  man  as 
it  was  by  nature,  for  even  warfare  troubled  it  but  little.  The 
Mexican  war  never  disturbed  it.  The  Confederate  invasion  to 
Santa  Fe  in  1862  barely  crossed  it.  And  even  the  wars  with  the 
Indians  —  Pueblo,  Apache  and  Chiricahua  —  barely  intruded  upon 
the  peaceful  valley,  when  the  rest  of  the  territory  was  harassed 
and  terrified  by  the  restless  red  men. 

While  a  dozen  centuries  of  the  Pecos  Valley  have  been  dis- 
missed upon  a  single  page,  the  last  dozen  years  and  the  present 
dispensation  are  worth  a  book.  For  the  new  era  in  this  fertile, 


Irrigation:  the   Key  to  the  Valley's  Success. 

sun-blessed,  well-watered  land  is  not  more  than  fifteen  years  old, 
even  if  one  measures  from  the  time  the  plans  for  development 
began  to  be  formed.  Throughout  the  territory  of  New  Mexico  the 
most  noteworthy  feature  of  the  American  development  has  been 
the  modification  of  the  primitive  ideas  of  the  first  inhabitants  as  to 
agricultural  methods  to  fit  the  needs  of  a  more  intelligent  and 
more  energetic  people.  Irrigation,  planned  and  directed  by  skilful 
and  scientific  men,  has  brought  back  into  profitable  cultivation  this 
smiling  valley,  long  abandoned  to  pastoral  use.  This  science  of 
irrigation,  which  makes  the  agriculturist  the  absolute  master  of 
his  acres  and  his  crops,  carried  to  perfection  as  it  is  here,  is  still 
the  same  influence  which  in  cruder  form  was  enlisted  by  the  very 
races  which  lived  in  the  valley  and  passed  away  a  thousand  years 
ago,  the  same  which  to-day  gives  all  the  wealth  to  Egypt  by  the 
aid  of  the  River  Nile. 

The  only  things  required  to  develop  this  smiling  valley  into 
one  of  the  most  productive  regions  of  all  our  broad  land  were  to 


A  Reservoir  Spillway,  North  of  Carlsbad. 


Where  Farming  Needs  No  Luck. 

provide  it  with  means  of  reliable  and  rapid  access  and  to  prepare 
irrigation  systems  which  would  water  it.  Both  necessities  have 
been  supplied  in  ample  degree. 

By  the  completion  in  March,  1899,  of  the  Pecos  Valley  Lines, 
a  portion  of  the  great  Santa  Fe  System,  direct  communication  is 
furnished  to  all  the  principal  markets,  north,  south,  east  and  west, 
so  that  shipments  may  be  made  regularly  and  promptly,  and  resi- 
dents of  the  valley  have  all  the  advantages  of  such  a  service  at 
their  command. 

By  the  construction  of  storage  reservoirs  and  canals,  at  a  cost 
of  millions  of  dollars,  water  is  ready  at  hand  for  every  farmer 
when  he  wants  it  for  the  best  treatment  of  his  crops.  Instead  of 
depending  upon  erratic  rainfall,  "that  inferior  substitute  for  irri- 
gation," he  commands  his  water  supply,  thus  insuring  the  highest 
degree  of  productivity  for  his  industry.  The  result  is  that  settle- 
ment and  prosperity  have  advanced  rapidly  in  the  valley,  hand  in 
hand,  until  to-day  it  is  recognized  as  a  most  desirable  region  for 
the  progressive  agriculturist. 

This  little  book  is  intended  to  present,  in  condensed  form, 
plainly  stated,  an  account  of  the  exact  conditions  in  the  Pecos 
Valley.  There  is  no  purpose  to  magnify  any  of  its  good  qualities. 
The  book  will  describe  the  scope  of  the  great  irrigation  works  and 
the  climate  and  soil  conditions  which  make  agriculture  so  success- 
ful here.  It  will  give  detailed  information  concerning  the  fruit, 
vegetable  and  farm  crops  which  have  proved  such  a  source  of 
profit,  and  the  raising  of  cattle,  sheep,  hogs  and  horses,  all  carried 
on  with  unusual  success.  The  towns  will  be  described,  the  mar- 
kets, the  railway  and  shipping  facilities  and  the  conditions  of  land 
purchase  and  water  rights.  All  of  these  things  will  be  made  clear 
by  direct  testimony  from  the  men  who  have  done  and  are  doing 
things  in  the  Pecos  Valley  and  who  know  exactly  what  they  are 
talking  about.  The  illustrations  included  in  the  handbook  have 
all  be  made  directly  from  photographs  taken  in  the  valley;  not 
exceptional  ones,  but  such  as  may  be  duplicated  many  times  by 
any  one  seeking  verification. 

The  climatic  conditions  with  reference  to  agriculture  are  espe- 
cially inviting,  but  even  more  inviting  as  a  health  proposition. 


Climate;  No  Zero  Weather  for  Twenty  Years. 

The  average  winter  is  short  and  a  large  portion  of  that  is  open 
and  mild,  permitting  comfortable  outdoor  work.  The  spring  opens 
early  and  the  autumn  holds  late,  so  that  throughout  the  entire  year 
there  are  comparatively  few  days  when  outdoor  labor  is  in  any 
sense  trying.  The  atmosphere  is  clear,  warm,  dry  and  bracing, 
there  being  as  many  as  240  days  in  each  year  clear  and  forty  in 
which  moisture  is  precipitated.  The  winters  are  mild  and  brief, 
and  the  summers  are  not  oppressively  hot.  The  frailest  invalid 
can  enjoy  the  benefits  of  outdoor  life  nearly  every  day  in  the  year. 
The  porous,  sandy  soil  permits  of  perfect  drainage,  and  malaria 
is  unknown.  Persons  afflicted  with  consumption  in  its  earlier 
stages,  bronchitis,  asthma  and  affections  of  the  kidneys  and  liver, 
are  almost  immediately  benefited.  The  entire  valley  can  truthfully 
be  termed  a  health  resort,  its  average  altitude  being  3,200  feet. 

The  recorded  mean  temperatures  are  as  follows:  Spring,  63.1 ; 
summer,  79.5;  autumn,  63.4;  winter,  43.9.  Occasionally  during 
June,  July  and  August  the  thermometer  registers  an  apparent  heat 
of  over  100°,  but  such  warmth  is  exceptional  and  never  long 
continued,  and  is  not  as  oppressive  as  80°  in  the  humid  atmos- 
phere of  the  East.  The  nights,  even  in  the  hottest  weather,  with 
very  few  exceptions  are  pleasant.  The  usual  winter  minimum  is 
from  12°  to  20°  above  zero.  Only  once  in  twenty  years  has  the 
mercury  fallen  below  the  zero  mark.  The  comparative  freedom 
from  serious  discomfort  even  in  the  warmest  weather  is  due  to 
the  rapid  evaporation  of  perspiration,  preventing  the  clammy, 
uncomfortable  feeling  so  common  to  lower  altitudes. 

The  secret  of  getting  the  best  results  of  the  Pecos  Valley  cli- 
mate lies  in  adopting  as  far  as  possible  an  outdoor  life.  The  man 
with  weak  lungs  and  weak  stomach,  who  has  been  taking  medicine 
for  months  and  perhaps  years,  usually  finds  that  moderate  exercise 
in  the  open  air  and  sunshine  in  this  climate  will  very  soon  enable 
him  to  digest  plain,  simple  food,  and  he  begins  to  gain  strength, 
provided  he  has  not  come  too  late.  No  climate  will  perform  mira- 
cles, but  an  outdoor  life  in  this  climate  has  cured  many  and  will 
cure  those  who  come  in  time.  Few  localities  can  be  named  where 
the  necessary  agricultural  conditions  are  so  happily  combined  with 
attractive  climatic  conditions  and  pleasant  surroundings. 


Uncle   Sam  Sends   Disabled    Soldiers    Here. 

It  is  an  evidence  of  the  salubrious  conditions  to  be  found  in 
this  region  that  two  sanitariums  have  been  started  by  the  United 
States  Government  for  the  climatic  treatment  of  soldiers  and  sail- 
ors afflicted  with  pulmonary  troubles.  One  of  these,  that  intended 
for  the  Marine  Hospital  Service,  now  occupies  the  abandoned 
military  reservation  of  Fort  Stanton,  a  short  distance  west  of 
Roswell.  The  other,  intended  for  the  army,  is  at  Fort  Bayard, 
near  Silver  City,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  New  Mexico.  To 
these  sanitariums  all  soldiers  and  sailors  thus  afflicted  are  brought 
from  all  over  the  United  States. 

Induced  by  the  remarkably  favorable  health  conditions  of  the 
valley,  an  important  sanitarium  is  about  to  be  established  at  Carls- 
bad for  the  treatment'  of  such  patients  as  desire  the  most  favorable 
circumstances  around  them.  High  medical  authorities  unite  in 
declaring  that  the  location  chosen  for  this  institution,  on  Hager- 
man  Heights,  across  the  Pecos  river  from  the  city  of  Carlsbad, 
possesses  conditions  which  will  make  it  noteworthy  throughout 
the  country.  A  splendid  mineral  spring  near  to  the  town  from 
which  it  takes  its  name,  pours  into  the  Pecos  river  every  minute 
five  thousand  gallons  of  water  strongly  impregnated  with  valu- 
able mineral  substances.  The  health-giving  qualities  of  this 
spring  are  an  important  factor  in  the  general  attractions  of  the 
vicinity,  no  less  than  in  the  sanitarium  enterprise. 

The  soil  in  the  Pecos  Valley  is  of  the  most  highly  fertile  and 


A  Beet  Field,  Pecos  Valley. 


Nature  of  the  Soil,  and  Its  Virtues. 

tillable  quality,  as  a  rule  a  rich  alluvial  soil,  formed  in  the  course 
of  ages  by  the  Pecos  river  and  its  tributaries.  The  surface  is 
generally  very  smooth  and  easy  to  cultivate  and  irrigate.  The 
soil  varies  from  what  is  locally  called  sand,  through  sandy  loam, 
to  adobe,  a  heavy,  sticky  soil,  but  not  strictly  clay.  The  prevailing 
color  is  a  chocolate  brown,  changing  in  places  to  a  dark  gray,  red 
or  black.  The  base  of  the  soil  is  limestone.  The  so-called  sand 
consists  not  of  silica,  but  of  minute  particles  of  lime  and  soil 
which  disintegrate  under  irrigation.  The  sandy  soil  has,  there- 
fore, a  tendency  to  become  heavier  with  use.  In  a  few  of  the 
depressions  there  is  some  black,  waxy  land,  but  of  this  there  is 
very  little.  Nearly  all  of  the  soils  scour  and  plow  well  and  can 
generally  be  broken  with  two  ordinary  horses,  and  are  then  very 
mellow.  Plowing  can  be  done  at  any  time  in  the  year,  as  the  soil 
can  be  moistened  at  the  farmer's  pleasure  and  be  ready  for  the 
plow  within  twenty-four  hours. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acids  in  these 
lands  for  all  crops,  but  in  the  raw  lands  nitrates  are  deficient  and 
there  is  very  little  humus.  These  are  characteristics  of  all  desert 
and  semi-arid  soils.  It  is  this  lack  of  humus  which  gives  the 
peculiar  light  appearance  to  the  soil,  so  noticeable  to  the  Eastern 
farmer,  who  is  surprised  that  anything  can  grow  upon  earth  which 
looks  like  that.  Upon  this  naturally  prolific  soil  the  processes  of 
irrigation  at  frequent  intervals  distribute  a  fresh  layer  of  silt, 


A  Scene  on  the  Slaughter  Ranch. 


Alfalfa;  the  Best  Fodder  in  the  World. 

nature's  own  fertilizer.  Rich  in  mineral  base,  the  natural  home  of 
alfalfa,  a  proper  rotation  of  crops  insures  increasing  productive- 
ness, with  no  call  for  costly  commercial  fertilizers,  as  is  the 
inevitable  fate  of  the  less  lasting  soils  of  the  rain  belt,  leached  and 
water-soaked  through  countless  ages,  but  still  full  of  vegetable 
mold  and  humus  unavailable  for  plant  food. 

Although  any  crop  suitable  to  the  temperate  zone  which  can 
sustain  an  arid  atmosphere  can  be  raised  in  the  Pecos  Valley,  the 
experience  seems  to  show  that  what  are  known  as  the  forage  crops 
are  most  peculiarly  adapted  to  this  vicinity.  Primarily  a  live-stock 
country,  as  this  is,  the  raising  of  alfalfa,  kaffir  corn,  milo  maize, 
sorghum  and  other  forage  crops  preserves  the  economy  of  nature 
in  the  highest  degree.  These  crops  raised  and  fed  to  cattle 
which,  while  on  pasture,  contribute  fertilizers  to  the  fields  where 
the  crops  are  raised,  are  the  most  logical  products  to  be  considered 
by  the  general  agriculturist. 

The  remarkable  development  in  the  West  of  the  species  of  hay 
known  as  alfalfa  has  contributed  largely  to  the  prosperous  devel- 
opment of  these  regions.  It  seems  but  fair  to  say  that  alfalfa  is 
the  best  fodder  crop  in  the  world.  It  is  a  species  of  lucerne  or 
clover,  a  perennial,  an  enormously  prolific  grower,  containing  a 
very  high  percentage  of  nutritive  matter,  and  is  of  such  a  hardy, 
aggressive  character  that  once  it  is  firmly  rooted  it  requires  little 
attention  other  than  an  occasional  irrigation  and  harvesting  of  the 
heavy  crop  of  hay  which  it  produces. 

In  the  Pecos  Valley,  alfalfa  is  cut  four  times  in  the  season,  and 
in  some  instances,  where  fields  are  small,  five  times.  As  much  as 
two  tons  of  hay  per  acre  have  been  made  at  one  cutting,  -but  a 
good  average  on  the  large  farms  is  three-fourths  of  a  ton  per  acre 
to  the  cutting.  Where  properly  cared  for  and  not  too  heavily 
pastured,  this  is  a  permanent  crop.  It  furnishes  considerable  pas- 
ture throughout  the  winter.  A  prominent  local  breeder,  after 
weaning  bull  calves  which  he  is  crowding  for  next  spring's  sale, 
usually  pastures  them  on  alfalfa,  when  they  are  as  fat,  sleek  and 
smooth  as  grain  calves  under  cover  in  the  North. 

The  best  time  to  sow  alfalfa  is  from  August  20  to  October  10. 
It  is  slow  to  start  and  in  this  climate  root  growth  goes  on  all 

13 


Four  Crops  a  Year,  and  Their  Profits. 

winter.  Planted  at  this  season,  the  crop  gets  ahead  of  the  weeds 
in  the  spring  and  should  yield  good  profit  the  first  year.  Planted 
in  the  spring,  there  is  a  hard  fight  with  weeds,  and  unless  con- 
ditions are  very  favorable  there  will  be  no  profit  and  much  labor 
throughout  the  year.  Alfalfa,  properly  cared  for,  has  a  long  life 
without  reseeding.  Gen.  R.  S.  Benson,  of  Florence,  New  Mex- 
ico, has  alfalfa  ten  years  old,  pastured  by  cattle  and  hogs,  and 
mowed  only  to  keep  down  the  growth  of  weeds,  producing  abun- 
dantly, with  increasing  instead  of  diminished  growth.  Mr.  D.  S. 
Horton,  on  his  farm  near  Otis,  has  eleven-year-old  alfalfa  in  fine 
condition.  Examples  might  be  multiplied. 

Not  all  land  is  suited  for  permanent  alfalfa.  This  is  one  of 
the  deepest  rooted  crops  known,  and  upon  shallow  land  is  not 
fully  productive.  It  is  then  used  in  rotation  as  a  soil  renovator 
and  enricher  with  wonderful  results,  often  increasing  the  pro- 
ductiveness of  the  soil  as  much  as  fifty  per  cent,  while  at  the  same 
time  producing  profitable  crops  of  hay.  In  August,  1901,  hay 
sold  for  $7  per  ton,  in  the  stack,  and  the  average  winter  price  in 
Carlsbad  has  been  $10  per  ton.  It  is  hardly  to  be  expected  that 
such  prices  as  these  can  be  maintained  permanently,  for  the  con- 
ditions have  been  peculiarly  favorable  and  the  shortage  of  corn 
throughout  the  Western  States  last  year  raised  the  price  of 
alfalfa  hay.  Nevertheless,  it  is  evident  that  the  price  might  be 
materially  scaled  down  and  there  would  still  be  a  very  large 
profit  per  acre  from  four  cuttings  of  this  remarkable  crop, 
which  promises  for  many  years  to  be  of  highest  importance  in  the 
prosperity  of  the  valley. 

Owing  to  the  dry  atmosphere,  the  Pecos  Valley  is  not  an  Indian 
corn  country.  It  takes  rain  to  fertilize  the  ear  of  the  Indian  corn, 
and  rain  can  not  be  depended  upon.  As  many  as  forty  bushels  per 
acre  of  shelled  corn  have  been  grown  on  alfalfa  sod,  but  the 
average  yield  is  not  over  fifteen  bushels.  The  stalks  grow  ten  to 
thirteen  feet  high,  but  there  is  little  leaf,  and  the  fodder  is  practi- 
cally worthless.  Nevertheless,  as  irrigation  becomes  more  and 
more  adapted  to  all  purposes,  the  cultivation  of  Indian  corn  is 
certain  to  improve. 

With  the  valuable  grains  which  do  produce  generously  in  the 

14 


Kaffir  Corn  and  Milo  Maize  Pay  Well. 

valley,  farmers  have  a  complete  substitute  for  Indian  corn.  Kaffir 
corn  and  milo  maize  are  the  grain  crops  chiefly  cultivated.  They 
produce  from  thirty  to  fifty  bushels  of  shelled  corn  to  the  acre, 
and  the  former  yields  from  three  to  five  tons  of  most  excellent 
fodder.  This  fodder  has  a  characteristic  in  the  Pecos  Valley 
which  is  almost  unique  and  hardly  observed  at  all  in  the  rain 
belt.  The  leaves  of  the  stalk,  which  are  abundant,  remain  green 
after  the  grain  is  ripe.  There  is  not  the  change  to  woody  fiber 
common  to  the  stalks  of  all  other  grains  at  ripening.  Thus  a 
full  crop  of  ripe  grain  can  be  harvested,  and  if  the  stalks  are  cut 
immediately  afterward,  they  will  be  in  perfect  condition  for  feed. 
The  ordinary  price  for  these  grains  at  harvest  time  is  $13  to  $15 
per  ton,  threshed,  sacked  and  delivered,  or  $9  per  ton  delivered  in 
the  head  from  the  field.  As  a  result  of  the  recent  season  of 
drought  in  the  corn  belt  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  the  price  rose 
far  above  these  figures,  and  old  corn  sold  last  year  in  the  Pecos 
Valley  as  high  at  $30  per  ton. 


Kaffir  Corn,  by  Irrigation. 


The  Grains ;  Sorghum  and  Beets ;  Cotton. 

In  addition  to  these  important  forage  crops,  which  are  of 
special  value  when  considered  in  connection  with  stock-raising, 
other  farm  crops  prove  profitable  to  those  who  give  attention  to 
them.  Winter  wheat  yields  twenty  bushels  to  the  acre  on  raw 
land,  and  rye,  barley  and  oats  in  proportion.  Very  little  of  these 
grains  is  raised,  however,  as  there  are  no  mills  and,  except  for 
oats,  no  local  market.  Some  millet  is  planted  and  thrives  well, 
and  sorghum  also  has  proved  a  valuable  crop.  Most  of  the  acre- 
age of  sorghum  is  used  for  forage,  but  good  syrup  has  been  made 
from  the  juice.  The  sugar  beet,  with  a  high  percentage  of  sac- 
charine, grows  very  plentiful  crops  in  the  valley. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  valley,  cotton  was  grown  for  the 
first  time  last  year,  and  proved  to  be  a  good  crop.  About  a  bale 
to  the  acre  was  produced.  The  staple  was  long,  the  crop  good, 
the  price  obtained  favorable,  the  demand  for  cotton  of  this  qual- 
ity is  great,  and  beyond  question  the  acreage  will  be  increased 
rapidly  as  the  possibilities  of  the  crop  are  realized.  Cotton  makes 


Stacking  Alfalfa. 


Facts  About  Market=Gardening. 

a  good  rotation  with  corn,  is  not  exhausting  to  the  soil,  and  the 
seed  is  so  valuable  an  item  in  the  crop  that  its  successful  cultiva- 
tion should  be  very  important  to  the  prosperity  of  the  valley. 

The  intelligent  truck  gardener  in  the  Pecos  Valley  has  an 
assurance  of  large  profit.  Market  gardening  has  been  neglected, 
owing  to  the  indifference  of  general  farmers  and  ranchmen  to 
what  they  considered  small  matters,  but  the  reward  of  success  is 
great  for  the  vegetable  grower.  It  is  true  that  the  local  conditions 
of  soil  and  climate  make  it  necessary  to  adapt  irrigation  to  the 
market  garden,  but  this  also  enables  the  gardener  to  control  his 
products.  The  adjacent  markets  in  the  valley  and  those  imme- 
diately accessible  by  rail  in  every  direction  guarantee  a  constant 
demand  for  choice  vegetables. 

Potatoes,  cabbage,  turnips  and  beets  sell  at  from  1 5/2  to  4  cents 
per  pound,  while  early  vegetables  of  all  descriptions  retail  as 
high  as  10  cents  per  pound.  Berries  sell  at  from  20  to  30  cents 
a  box.  Onions,  peppers,  tomatoes,  turnips  and  squash  are  pecul- 
iarly adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate,  although  some  of  these 
incline  to  be  late.  Cabbage  and  cauliflower  also  promise  satis- 
factory commercial  results.  A  few  details  concerning  these  crops 
will  serve  to  indicate  the  conditions. 

Asparagus  grows  well,  even  on  alkali  land,  for  it  is  fond  of 
salt.  It  can  be  put  upon  the  Kansas  City  market  as  early  as 
March  10.  The  flavor  is  excellent  and  the  stalks  are  remarkably 
tender  and  not  stringy.  Experts  pronounce  it  unsurpassed. 

The  Pecos  Valley  is  gaining  special  fame  for  its  celery.  It 
has  been  cultivated  with  great  skill  by  expert  growers,  who  have 
tested  all  the  conditions,  and  the  result  is  that  now  an  important 
industry  is  developing  and  the  markets  are  beginning  to  notice 
the  fine  quality  of  the  crop.  The  most  extensive  production  of  this 
delicacy  is  near  Roswell,  on  the  Spring  Brook  celery  farm.  The 
constant  sunshine,  the  saline  quality  of  the  soil,  the  ample  supply 
of  water  from  a  fine  spring  on  the  farm  and  the  attention  that  has 
been  given  to  the  cultivation  have  brought  rich  reward.  The 
celery  leads  all  competitors  in  every  market  to  which  it  has  been 
introduced,  although  it  came  into  competition  with  the  most 
famous  celery  farms  in  the  United  States.  The  soil  of  the  val- 


More  About  Gardens,  and  Other  Industries. 

ley  seems  to  possess  in  a  high  degree  the  constituents  which 
impart  to  this  delicacy  that  peculiar  nutty  flavor  so  prized  by 
epicures.  The  following  paragraph  from  the  Roswell  Register 
indicates  the  commercial  success  of  the  Spring  Brook  farm: 
"W.  M.  Farmer  has  just  received  returns  from  his  last  shipment 
of  celery.  The  total  figures  show  that  in  addition  to  supplying 
the  local  demand,  he  shipped  88,815  pounds.  The  express  bill  on 
this  was  $1,389.80.  The  gross  income  realized  at  the  farm  for  the 
crop  of  twenty  acres  was  over  $6,000." 

Spinach,  lettuce  and  radishes  are  hardly  known  in  the  local 
markets  and  when  offered  bring  very  high  prices.  Yet  the  cli- 
matic conditions  are  such  that  they  could  be  supplied  by  local 
growers  almost  without  interruption  during  the  entire  winter, 
when  prices  in  the  city  markets  are  the  highest. 

Sweet  potatoes  produce  most  abundantly  upon  the  sandy  lands. 
No  fertilizing  is  necessary.  J.  O.  Cameron,  of  Carlsbad,  bought 
a  five-acre  tract  last  spring  for  $150.  He  will  realize  $300  from 
his  sweet  potato  crop  on  less  than  three  acres  of  this  land.  The 
whole  crop  is  sold  at  3  cents  per  pound,  the  usual  price  for  sweet 
potatoes.  Willis  Cadwell,  of  Malaga,  in  1900  sold  $150  worth  of 
tomatoes  from  one-half  acre.  In  1901  his  sales  were  even 
greater.  The  crop  is  shipped  chiefly  to  Texas  points.  The  vines 
bear  continuously  till  stopped  by  frost. 

The  average  weekly  import  of  cabbage  into  the  State  of  Texas 
is  about  one  hundred  carloads,  and  the  price  ranges  from  I  cent 
to  2^  cents  per  pound,  wholesale.  It  has  proven  possible  in  the 
Pecos  Valley  to  net  $120  an  acre  from  cabbage  after  deducting 
freight  charges  and  crates.  Onions  have  produced  in  the  valley 
below  Carlsbad  at  the  rate  of  45,000  pounds  to  the  acre.  With 
one-fourth  of  this  yield,  at  the  current  prices  in  the  Texas  mar- 
ket, the  profit  would  be  more  than  $50  per  acre. 

As  the  general  farming  industries  of  the  Pecos  Valley  multi- 
ply and  the  railway  systems  tributary  to  the  valley  extend,  both 
the  local  and  the  outer  markets  for  vegetables  and  fruits  increase 
rapidly,  so  that  the  profit  steadily  rises.  Some  of  the  expressions 
of  opinion  on  this  subject,  which  are  quoted  herewith,  indicate 
the  exact  situation  very  clearly. 

18 


The  Center  of  Irrigation  Interests. 

Chaves  and  Eddy  counties  are  the  two  counties  which  contain 
the  more  valuable  and  accessible  portions  of  the  Pecos  Valley. 
From  the  northern  limit  of  Chaves  county,  north  of  Roswell,  to 
the  southern  limit  of  Eddy  county,  south  of  Carlsbad,  and  across 
into  the  State  of  Texas,  the  irrigation  works  in  operation  are 
capable  of  supplying  all  the  water  necessary  for  an  acreage  many 
times  greater  than  that  now  under  cultivation  or  demanded  by 
the  present  population.  Roswell  in  the  north  and  Carlsbad  in  the 
south,  the  county  seats  of  these  counties  and  the  most  popu- 
lous of  the  valley  towns,  thus  become  the  chief  local  markets  and 
the  centers  of  activity,  though  there  are  several  other  flourishing 
towns  rising  into  prominence. 

As  an  evidence  of 'the  completeness  of  the  irrigation  systems 
of  the  valley,  attention  may  be  called  to  the  statements  of  the 
Governor  of  New  Mexico,  the  Hon.  Miguel  A.  Otero,  in  his 
annual  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  made  last  year. 
His  graphic  description  of  the  system  centering  around  Carlsbad 


A  Flock  of  Sheep,  Pecos  Valley. 


From  the  Report  of  the  Governor. 

can  not  fail  to  impress  the  reader.  He  says  in  part  on  this  sub- 
ject: 

"  The  largest  irrigation  plant  in  the  Territory  and  probably  the 
largest  stable  water  supply  in  the  whole  West,  are  what  make 
Eddy  county  peculiarly  favored  among  her  sisters.  The  Pecos 
river  rises  above  Las  Vegas  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Territory, 
embracing  a  watershed  nearly  two  hundred  miles  long  and  aver- 
aging seventy-five  miles  in  width  until  it  reaches  Carlsbad,  trav- 
erses the  county  from  north  to  south  nearly  through  the  center, 
and  is  the  source  of  supply  of  what  is  destined  to  be,  if  it  is  not 
to-day,  a  world-famous  irrigation  system. 

"By  damming  this  river,  the  Pecos  Irrigation  Company  has 
created  two  enormous  reservoirs,  with  a  capacity  of  90,000  acre 
feet.  From  the  most  southerly  of  these,  Lake  Avalon  starts  its 
magnificent  irrigation  canal  45  feet  wide  on  the  bottom  and  carry- 
ing 2^/2.  feet  of  water  in  depth  to  the  berme.  Two  and  one-half 
miles  above  Carlsbad  this  enormous  canal  is  divided  and  one 
branch  is  carried  to  the  west  bank  of  the  Pecos  in  an  immense 
wooden  flume,  20  feet  wide,  562  feet  long  and  7  feet  deep,  and  37 
feet  above  the  river  bed.  The  canal  is  in  active  operation  for  a 
distance  of  twenty-five  miles,  and  serves  with  its  life-giving 
streams  thousands  of  acres  of  land.  There  are  hundreds  of  miles 
of  distributing  canals,  not  including  the  small  farm  ditches.  The 
two  dams,  each  over  one-fourth  mile  long  and  nearly  50  feet  high, 
built  of  loose  rock  with  massive  earth  aprons  protected  with  rock 
riprap,  with  their  immense  headgates  set  in  masonry  and  their 
huge  spillways  to  carry  off  flood  water,  are  a  never-ceasing  source 
of  wonder  and  admiration  to  the  casual  visitor,  the  expert  engi- 
neer or  the  drought-stricken  homeseeker  from  less  fortunate  sur- 
roundings. 

"  These  reservoirs  are  the  insurance  of  a  stable  water  supply 
against  seasons  of  unusual  drought;  but  seldom  is  it  necessary 
to  draw  upon  them,  as  the  ordinary  flow  of  the  Pecos  is  ample 
for  all  requirements.  The  first  six  months  of  this  year  nearly 
one  hundred  thousand  acre  feet  of  flood  water  was  allowed  to 
pass  unused  down  the  river,  April  being  the  only  month  that  water 
was  not  spilled  at  the  dams.  When  one  remembers  that  this 


Artesian  Wells ;  Another  Source  of  Prosperity. 

is  a  year  of  disastrous  drought  and  that  the  local  rainfall  for  the 
six  months  was  only  3.6  inches,  as  shown  in  the  Government 
reports,  no  argument  is  necessary  to  convince  the  most  skeptical 
of  the  adequacy  and  permanency  of  Eddy  county's  water  supply." 

Roswell  has  a  special  water  supply  in  the  territory  tributary  to 
it,  which  helps  to  guarantee  the  prosperity  of  the  Chaves  county 
settler,  in  addition  to  the  large  canal  systems  of  the  Roswell  Land 
and  Water  Company.  A  remarkable  sub-irrigation  condition 
exists,  at  a  depth  of  about  ten  feet,  which  serves  generously  to 
supplement  the  artificial  irrigation  of  the  canal  systems.  Still, 
in  addition  to  this,  is  the  famous  artesian  well  district,  which  is 
about  eleven  miles  wide  and  seventy-five  miles  long.  This  proved 
area,  which  begins  about  ten  miles  north  of  Roswell  and  extends 
to  McMillan  on  the  south,  has  now  in  it  two  hundred  flowing 
artesian  wells,  and  there  has  never  been  a  failure  in  finding  an 
artesian  well  within  these  limits.  The  artesian  deposit  is  found  at 
two  depths,  the  first  flow  being  reached  at  from  150  to  200  feet, 
with  a  total  well  cost  of  from  $200  to  $225,  while  the  second  flow 
is  usually  tapped  about  100  feet  deeper,  at  a  cost  of  another  $100. 
The  deepest  wells  are  850  feet  deep.  The  wells  of  both  flows 
appear  to  be  exhaustless,  showing  no  shrinkage  as  time  passes. 

A  fair  average  of  the  wells  now  flowing  in  this  belt  is  400 
gallons  per  minute.  The  city  of  Roswell  has  eighty  of  the  wells, 
of  which  one,  in  the  railway  yards,  flows  2,500  gallons  a  minute. 
Another  discharges  1,500  gallons  a  minute,  and  several  others 
pass  1,000  gallons.  An  average  Chaves  county  artesian  well  will 
irrigate  160  acres  without  any  other  water  supply.  Some  of  the 
finest  farms  in  the  valley  are  irrigated  solely  by  artesian  wells.  A 
windmill,  tank  and  reservoir  added  to  the  farm  equipment  make 
the  supply  immediately  available  for  the  household  use  as  well  as 
the  farm,  adding  materially  to  the  conveniences  of  life.  In  addition 
to  the  large  irrigation  systems  of  the  companies,  the  sub-irrigation 
that  underlies  the  whole  region,  the  springs  that  are  so  plentiful 
and  the  artesian  wells  that  are  to  be  had  for  the  boring,  there  are 
numerous  small  "  community  ditches  "  owned  by  the  neighboring 
farmers  whose  ranches  they  serve. 

Throughout  the  valley  on  land  lying  above  the  so-called  arte- 


Water  Right  Is  Sold  With  the  Land. 

sian  belt  as  at  present  defined,  permanent  supply  of  water  can  be 
had  at  depth  varying  from  25  feet  to  200  feet.  One  of  these  wells 
equipped  with  a  windmill  and  pump  will  successfully  irrigate  about 
twenty  acres  of  cultivated  land.  All  water  used  for  irrigation 
purposes  around  Roswell,  except  artesian  well  water,  is  carried 
in  a  number  of  community  ditches  under  water  rights  appropriated 
by  the  original  settlers.  This  water  is  a  part  of  and  appurtenant 
to  the  land  it  serves  and  is  sold  with  it.  Therefore,  in  the  country 
immediately  surrounding  Roswell  there  are  water-rent  charges  to 
be  paid  out,  beyond  the  small  assessment  levied  for  ditch  mainte- 
nance. The  great  distinctive  difference  between  artesian  and 
windmill  wells  should  be  thoroughly  appreciated.  The  artesian 
water  rises  by  its  own  force  and  flows  unaided  into  farm  reser- 
voirs sufficient  to  properly  irrigate  about  one  hundred  acres  of 
land,  while  the  windmill  wells  are  not  nearly  so  deep  and  the 
water  from  them  must  be  pumped  into  the  reservoirs  by  some 
mechanical  appliance. 


An  Artesian   Well  in  the  Valley. 
23 


Water  Independent  of  Surface  Conditions. 

A  unique  feature  of  the  Rio  Pecos  is  the  manner  in  which  its 
waters  are  replenished  as  it  flows  southward.  The  river  is  fed 
not  alone  by  numerous  tributary  streams,  but  by  thousands  of 
living  springs,  which  flow  from  fissures  in  the  limestone  floor 
with  which  the  whole  region  is  underlaid.  In  some  parts  of  the 
valley  are  lakes  fed  by  these  fountains,  the  flow  from  which  is  so 
great  as  to  justify  the  name  of  river.  In  the  vicinity  of  Roswell 
the  flow  of  water  from  springs  is  sufficient  to  irrigate  thousands 
of  acres,  and  from  the  river  bank  three  miles  above  Carlsbad 
a  single  spring  pours  forth  enough  water  to  supply  a  city. 

Six  miles  above  Carlsbad  is  the  enormous  dam  across  the 
river,  which,  during  the  storing  and  irrigating  seasons,  holds 
back  every  drop  of  the  river's  flow,  which  is  carried  miles  away 
through  canals.  There  is  no  seepage,  and  in  this  distance  the 
river  receives  no  tributaries,  yet  the  outflow  of  springs  in  the 
river  bed  in  these  six  miles  causes  a  very  respectable  stream  to 
flow  past  the  town.  The  sources  of  water  supply  are  therefore 


By -Products. 


Outline  of  the  StocK=Raising  District. 

seen  to  be  in  a  measure  independent  of  surface  conditions,  being, 
in  fact,  practically  artesian  flows,  constituting  this  supply  one  of 
unmatched  constancy  and  reliability  in  all  the  arid  region  of  the 
United  States. 

Farming  in  the  Pecos  Valley,  therefore,  begins  with  the  abso- 
lute certainty  that  the  necessary  water  supply  for  the  crops  is 
under  the  entire  control  of  the  owner.  While  there  is  some  rain, 
floods  or  excessive  rainfall  are  virtually  unknown.  The  danger  of 
drought  is  entirely  overcome  by  irrigation,  so  that  the  risk  of 
ever  losing  a  crop  from  any  cause  whatever  is  almost  entirely 
removed. 

Along  the  Pecos  Valley  Lines  and  their  extensions  from 
Pecos,  Texas,  on  the  south,  to  Woodward,  Oklahoma,  on  the 
north,  numerous  prosperous  communities  have  grown  up,  their 
character  somewhat  governed  by  the  local  conditions  of  the 
country  immediately  surrounding  them.  Roughly  speaking,  it  may 
be  said  that  from  Woodward  southwest  across  the  "  Panhandle  " 
to  the  boundary  line  between  Texas  and  New  Mexico,  the  coun- 
try until  recently  has  been  almost  exclusively  a  cattle-raising 
district,  and  the  towns  along  that  part  of  the  line  are  supported 
by  the  stock  industry.  The  same  conditions  rule  more  or  less  for 
some  distance  across  the  boundary  into  New  Mexico,  except  that 
at  Potfales  is  the  center  of  a  general  agricultural  district  with 
characteristics  all  its  own.  The  Pecos  Valley  proper,  from  some 
miles  above  Roswell  in  the  north,  down  to  the  Texas-New 
Mexico  boundary  in  the  south,  is  the  distinctive  irrigated  region, 
where  fruits,  vegetables,  farm  crops  and  fine  cattle  flourish  so 
abundantly.  In  Texas,  once  more,  to  the  terminus  of  the  line 
at  Pecos,  stock-raising  is  the  chief  industry.  Roswell  and  Carls- 
bad, therefore,  as  the  metropolitan  centers  of  the  richest  part  of 
the  valley,  are  the  most  important  towns  to  be  considered. 

Roswell,  the  county  seat  of  Chaves  county,  is  located  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Hondo  with  the  Pecos  river.  Located  so  fortu- 
nately, it  has  long  been  known  as  one  of  the  most  prosperous  busi- 
ness centers  of  New  Mexico.  Its  altitude  is  about  3,575  feet,  and 
its  climate  the  characteristically  favorable  one  of  the  valley.  The 
important  irrigation  systems  of  the  valley  begin  just  above 

25 


Roswell,  one  of  the  Centers  of  Business. 

Roswell,  and  have  been  so  long  in  operation  that  the  test  is 
complete  as  to  just  what  can  be  done  agriculturally  in  this 
vicinity. 

Roswell  has  a  population  approximating  3,300  and  rapidly 
increasing.  The  town  is  beautifully  laid  out  and  its  various 
business  houses  and  private  residences  are  neat,  modern  and 
substantial.  Brick  and  stone  have  been  used  more  generally  than 
in  many  Western  towns,  so  that  the  appearance  of  stability  is 
marked.  The  town  is  particularly  proud  of  its  multitudes  of 
great  cottonwood  trees  lining  every  street,  and  its  many  large 
springs  and  flowing  artesian  wells.  Some  of  the  latter  yield  two 
thousand  gallons  of  water  per  minute,  and  contribute  a  valuable 
supply  for  irrigation.  Churches  of  various  denominations,  two 
large  public  schools,  a  $30,000  courthouse,  three  newspapers,  three 
hotels,  three  lumber  yards,  an  ice  factory,  two  banks,  an  elegant 
club  and  numerous  wholesale  and  retail  houses  are  some  of 
the  more  important  factors  in  the  city  life.  The  New  Mexico 
Military  Institute,  considered  one  of  the  best  educational  institu- 
tions in  the  Southwest,  is  located  here  with  an  ample  equipment 
of  faculty,  buildings  and  grounds. 

Being  the  headquarters  of  many  large  ranchmen,  Roswell  is 
consequently  one  of  the  most  important  centers  of  the  stock- 
raising  industry,  and  trainloads  of  cattle,  sheep  and  wool  are 
annually  shipped  east  from  this  point.  The  volume  of  traffic  by 
express  from  such  a  station  as  Roswell  is  an  important  indication 
of  the  general  business  conditions  and  of  the  growing  prosperity 
of  the  entire  vicinity.  The  records  of  the  Wells-Fargo  Express 
Company  show  a  significant  fact  in  regard  to  express  earnings  at 
Roswell.  For  the  month  of  August,  1901,  Roswell  was  sixth  in 
the  amount  of  business  done  of  all  the  offices  in  the  southern 
division  of  this  company,  being  surpassed  only  by  New  Orleans, 
Houston,  Dallas,  San  Antonio  and  Beaumont,  in  the  order  named ; 
and,  with  the  exception  of  Beaumont,  Roswell  showed  twice  as 
much  increase  as  any  other  in  comparison  with  the  same  month 
the  year  before,  and  has  a  greater  increase  even  than  Beaumont. 

One  of  the  best  evidences  of  the  growing  prosperity  in  the 
valley  is  found  in  the  increase  of  bank  deposits  within  the  last 


Carlsbad,  a  City  of  Enterprise. 

few  years.  One  of  the  banks,  founded  some  ten  years  ago, 
shows  an  increase  in  deposits  from  $48,000  in  1892,  to  $350,000  in 
1902,  while  a  new  bank,  founded  less  than  two  years  ago,  shows 
an  increase  in  deposits  from  $59,000  to  more  than  $100,000  in  a 
single  year.  These  figures  are  particularly  impressive  when  one 
remembers  that  in  1890  the  census  gave  to  Roswell  a  population 
of  391.  At  this  time  the  mail  was  brought  three  times  a  week 
from  San  Antonio,  two  hundred  miles  away,  and  Roswell  was  the 
farthest  from  a  railway  of  all  the  postoffices  in  the  United  States. 

Write  to  the  Roswell  Land  and  Water  Company  for  informa- 
tion regarding  lands  and  irrigations. 

Carlsbad,  the  county  seat  of  Eddy  county,  New  Mexico,  owes 
its  origin  entirely  to-  the  introduction  and  success  of  the  irriga- 
tion systems  of  the  Pecos  Valley.  It  was  founded  some  fifteen 
years  ago,  on  what  was  then,  to  all  appearances,  almost  an  absolute 
desert.  To-day  it  is  a  charming  city  of  more  than  1,600  inhabi- 
tants, while  the  systematic  plan  under  which  it  was  laid  off,  and 


Canyon  Street,  Carlsbad. 
27 


Other  Growing  Towns  and  Stations. 

the  foresight  of  the  early  citizens  in  the  planting  of  trees  on 
either  side  of  all  the  streets,  has  had  the  effect  of  making  it  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  places  in  New  Mexico.  Carlsbad  is  about 
seventy-five  miles  south  of  Roswell,  and  its  altitude  is  3,100 
feet.  Consequently,  its  summers  are  somewhat  warmer  and  its 
winters  milder  than  those  of  the  former  place.  The  people  are 
such  as  would  be  found  in  a  cultivated,  intelligent,  energetic 
community.  Enterprise  and  progressive  spirit  rule  here,  as  at 
Roswell  and  throughout  the  valley.  A  first-class  water  and 
electric  light  system,  good  schools  and  churches,  a  prosperous 
club,  conveniently  located,  a  fine  hotel,  newspapers,  banks,  a 
hospital,  a  wool-scouring  plant  and  thirty  miles  of  handsome 
shade  trees  lining  the  streets  of  the  town  and  the  residence  sub- 
urbs of  La  Huerta  and  Hagerman  Heights,  justify  the  pride  which 
the  people  of  Carlsbad  have  in  their  community.  The  important 
mineral  spring  which  suggests  the  name  for  the  town  has  already 
been  mentioned  in  connection  with  climatological  conditions. 

Write  to  the  Pecos  Irrigation  and  Improvement  Company 
regarding  land  and  water  in  and  around  Carlsbad. 

Between  Roswell  and  Pecos  many  small  and  prosperous  set- 
tlements have  been  established,  all  adjacent  to  the  river  and  the 
railway,  and  all  promising  good  markets  and  easy  shipments  to 
the  farmers  in  their  vicinity.  Among  these,  some  of  which  are 
merely  stations,  while  others  promise  to  be  thriving  towns,  are 


A  Round-up  Near  Carlsbad. 


Ideal  Conditions  for  StocK=Raising. 

South  Spring,  Orchard  Park,  Greenfield,  Hagerman,  Lake  Arthur, 
Miller,  Spring  Lake,  Penasco,  McMillan,  Lake  View,  Otis,  Fran- 
cis, Florence,  Malaga,  Red  Bluff,  Palermo,  Guadalupe,  Arno, 
Lucerne  and  Brant. 

Pecos,  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Santa  Fe  System  by  this 
route,  is  the  junction  of  the  Pecos  Valley  Lines  with  the  railways 
extending  west  to  El  Paso  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  east  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  is  the  county  seat  of  Reeves  county, 
Texas,  and  is  a  well-built  town  of  some  1,500  inhabitants.  The 
surrounding  country  is  devoted  almost  entirely  to  stock-raising 
and  consequently  Pecos  is  an  important  distributing  point  for 
ranches  in  every  direction.  Business  buildings  and  residences  in 
large  numbers  are  built  of  the  red  sandstone  which  is  found  in 
abundance  near  by.  Artesian  water  furnishes  an  excellent  domes- 
tic supply. 

Perhaps  the  most  profitable  industry  of  all  in  the  Pecos 
Valley,  for  the  general  agriculturist,  is  cattle-raising.  The 
remarkable  combination  of  an  ideal  climate,  cheap  pastures,  pro- 
lific alfalfa  fields,  nutritious  forage  crops  and  a  ready  market 
unite  to  make  the  importance  of  this  line  of  business.  Formerly, 
from  the  want  of  some  cheap  fattening  food,  the  far  West  was 
entirely  dependent  upon  the  agricultural  States  for  its  fattened 
beef.  Cattle  were  shipped  from  New  Mexico  to  Kansas  or 
Missouri,  fed  there  on  corn  and  then  sent  back  as  beef  in 
refrigerator  cars,  to  be  eaten,  perhaps,  close  to  the  place  in  New 
Mexico  from  where  a  few  months  before  the  thin  ox  had  been 
shipped,  thus  requiring  a  double  journey  of  600  to  1,000  miles. 
To-day  a  good  percentage  of  the  beef  eaten  in  New  Mexico  is 
fattened  there  on  alfalfa,  and  large  shipments  of  fat  cattle  are 
sent  to  Kansas  City  and  Chicago,  already  fattened  for  the  market. 

Superior  climatic  conditions  have  long  since  made  the  South- 
west the  great  cattle-breeding  district  of  the  United  States.  From 
this  source  are  derived  the  feeders  for  the  grazing  lands  of  the 
Northwest  and  the  corn  lots  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  The 
mild  climate  of  the  Pecos  Valley,  free  as  it  is  from  the  dis- 
astrous northers  which  are  the  terror  of  the  cowman  of  the 
Texas  Panhandle,  is  peculiarly  conducive  to  full  "crops"  of 

29 


Mutton  and  Wool ;  Two  Great  Products. 

calves  and  lambs.  The  winter  losses  on  the  range  are  prac- 
tically nothing.  The  hard  time  for  the  range  cow  in  this  valley 
is  in  the  spring,  after  a  dry  winter,  before  summer  rains  come 
to  fill  up  the  waterholes  and  to  renew  the  perennial  grasses  of  the 
plains. 

To  a  Northern  farmer  it  is  almost  incredible  that  stock  can 
be  wintered  without  shelter  and  with  so  little  feed.  But  these 
are  facts.  Until  one  has  fed  in  both  places,  he  can  not  realize 
the  great  quantity  of  feed  utilized  by  the  Northern  farmer  merely 
to  supply  animal  heat.  Try  to  figure  the  difference  between 
feeding  from  Christmas  to  March  15  under  Pecos  Valley  cli- 
matic conditions,  and  feeding  full  through  six  months  winter. 

March  I  alfalfa  begins  to  grow,  but  frosts  will  cut  it  back 
as  late  as  April  i  to  10.  It  can,  therefore,  be  used  for  pasture 
until  that  date,  even  when  it  is  being  handled  primarily  for  hay. 
Cattle  breeders  find  it  profitable  to  pasture  breeding  cows  on 
alfalfa  till  nearly  May  to  give  them  the  best  possible  start  for 
summer's  grazing  on  the  range. 

One  of  the  greatest  industries  of  New  Mexico  is  sheep-rais- 
ing and  wool-growing.  Southeastern  New  Mexico  has  some  of 
the  largest  and  best  high-grade  flocks  in  the  Territory,  there 
being  probably  more  than  250,000  sheep  in  Chaves  and  Eddy 
counties.  The  total  shipments  of  wool  from  Roswell  and  Carls- 
bad amount  to  more  than  2,000,000  pounds  each  season.  Sheep- 
raising  on  alfalfa  has  passed  the  experimental  stage  and  has 
become  an  established  industry,  insuring  large  profits.  Examples 
of  what  can  be  done  in  that  line  will  be  shown  in  connection 
with  some  of  the  more  important  ranches  of  the  two  counties, 
to  be  described  in  the  succeeding  pages.  Early  lambs  raised  on 
alfalfa  and  put  on  the  market  in  good  shape  from  the  Pecos 
Valley  have  brought  top  prices,  buyers  almost  running  over 
each  other  to  bid  on  them.  Intelligent  management  in  the  sheep 
business,  either  on  the  range  or  farm,  brings  good  results  in  this 
valley.  There  is  a  vast  free  range  on  which  sheep  and  cattle 
may  be  pastured  outside  of  the  irrigated,  agricultural  district 
of  the  valley.  From  the  range  the  stock  is  brought  to  the  farms 
to  be  finally  "topped  off"  for  the  market. 

30 


Horses  and  Swine;   Profits  in  Forage  Crops. 

The  principal  demand  for  horses  in  the  Pecos  Valley  has  been 
for  "  cow  ponies  "  with  which  to  handle  cattle.  The  climate  and 
altitude  give  horses  great  lung  power,  and  when  raised  on  the 
range  they  develop  sound  feet  and  remarkable  powers  of  endur- 
ance. With  the  increase  of  population  a  demand  for  fine  drivers 
and  roadsters  has  grown  up,  but  has  to  be  supplied  from  other 
localities.  Men  of  experience,  who  are  familiar  with  conditions 
here,  say  that  there  is  no  locality  in  the  United  States  where 
the  breeding  and  raising  of  horses  will  produce  better  animals 
than  the  Pecos  Valley. 

Hogs  raised  on  alfalfa  grow  very  fast  and  are  healthy,  facts 
which  have  been  demonstrated  in  a  practical  manner  by  many 
residents  of  the  Pecos  Valley.  The  most  important  undertaking 
in  that  business  is  that  of  Mr.  Clifton  Chisholm,  who  owns  a 
large  farm  eight  miles  from  Roswell.  He  has  stocked  with  pedi- 
greed hogs  and  is  devoting  his  attention  to  breeding,  with  remark- 
able success.  F.  C.  Burtis,  of  the  Kansas  Experiment  Station, 
has  made  some  very  interesting  experiments  in  fattening  hogs  on 
alfalfa  and  Kaffir  corn.  He  declares  that  according  to  the  results 
of  these  experiments,  alfalfa  hay  is  worth  $17  per  ton  when 
fed  with  Kaffir  corn  to  fattening  hogs.  When  farmers  state  that 
they  are  realizing  from  $40  to  $50  per  acre  a  year  from  their 
alfalfa,  they  are  ridiculed  by  many,  but  this  is  not  at  all  impossible 
if  the  crop  is  raised  and  fed  with  care.  During  the  winter  thou- 


The  Otis  Ranch. 

31 


Concerning  Goats;  A  Good  Investment. 

sands  of  bushels  of  high-priced  corn  may  be  saved  from  being 
fed  to  hogs  by  "  roughing  "  the  hogs  through  on  alfalfa. 

Here  is  some  interesting  information  in  regard  to  the  profits 
in  raising  goats.  A  neighborhood  correspondent  of  the  Roswell 
Register  writes  as  follows :  "  John  Hightower  went  to  Roswell 
this  week  with  a  load  of  mohair.  He  secured  28  cents  per  pound 
in  the  Roswell  markets  last  spring  for  goat  fleece,  and  expects 
that  much  or  more  for  this  season's  clip.  Hightower  has  the 
finest  grade  of  goats  in  this  part  of  New  Mexico.  He  began 
with  500  nannies  and  a  few  fine  bucks  and  sheared  the  first 
season  1,400  pounds  of  mohair.  Some  of  his  California  bucks 
cost  him  $150  each.  He  raised  250  kids,  and  last  August  sold 
102  head  of  goats,  which  netted  him  $450.  He  sheared  again 
last  fall  and  weighed  up  1,600  pounds  of  mohair.  He  has  already 
been  offered  23  cents  for  this  year's  clip.  The  cow  and  horse 
must  take  a  back  seat  when  compared  to  the  goat  business, 


Swine,  Pecos  Valley. 
32 


Experiences  of  Some  Model  Farms. 

with  the  same  amount  of  capital  invested.  My  advice  to  the 
small  cowman  would  be  to  sell  his  cattle  and  invest  the  money  in 
good  shearing  goats." 

Throughout  Chaves  and  Eddy  counties  are  scattered  numer- 
ous ranches,  large  and  small,  where  all  of  the  different  agricul- 
tural and  stock-raising  industries  have  been  tested  completely. 
In  some  instances  large  sums  of  money  have  been  spent  in  bring- 
ing these  ranches  to  a  state  of  perfection,  and  the  experience 
gained  by  many  costly  experiments  is  now  at  the  service  of  any 
one  who  comes  to  the  valley.  It  is  not  necessary,  therefore,  to 
waste  time  or  money  in  the  effort  to  discover  the  most  profitable 
undertakings  to  enter. 

Some  of  these  ranches  are  famous  all  over  the  country  for 
their  products  as  model  farms.  Among  the  more  noteworthy  of 
these  ranches  is  that  of  Gen.  R.  S.  Benson,  sixteen  miles  east 
of  the  Pecos  river,  in  a  splendid  grass  country.  Here  he  owns 
800  acres  of  irrigated  land,  where  he  winters  from  1,200  to  1,500 
head  of  thoroughbred  and  high-grade  cattle.  One  branch  of  his 
business  is  raising  bulls  for  range  delivery.  These  bulls  are  bred 
by  registered  Hereford  sires  on  full  blood  Shorthorn  dams. 
They  are  sold  as  yearlings,  delivery  about  May  i.  They  are 
wintered  on  alfalfa  hay  and  Kaffir  corn  in  the  head.  This  sea- 
son's sales  were  at  $65  a  round,  no  cut  backs,  135  head,  going  all 
to  one  outfit  in  Arizona,  delivered  f.  o.  b.  cars  at  Francis  sta- 
tion, Mr.  Benson's  farm  shipping  point.  This  is  a  nice  little 
business  in  itself.  Mr.  Benson  spares  neither  time  nor  money  in 
getting  good  bulls  and  has  the  equal  of  any  in  the  United  States. 
Of  his  purchase  of  new  blood  last  spring,  Mr.  Kirk  B.  Armour, 
in  a  personal  letter,  says:  "Mr.  Benson  has  just  taken  six  bulls 
that  I  feel  sure  are  quite  as  good  as  anything  I  have  ever  bred." 

Though  on  so  large  a  scale,  there  is  nothing  "  fancy "  about 
Mr.  Benson's  operations.  His  is  a  plain,  practical  business  enter- 
prise, not  the  toy  of  a  man  of  independent  means.  His  farm  is 
run  to  make  money,  not  to  spend  it.  The  bank  account  behind  it 
has  come  from  last  year's  profits  and  must  be  replenished  from 
the  business  as  it  runs  along.  Experience  has  taught  Mr.  Benson 
the  profit  of  feed  in  connection  with  free  range.  He  has  repeat- 


Raising  Fine  Hogs  on  Chisholm  Ranch. 

edly  said  that  he  has  seen  the  time  when  the  feed  he  raises  on 
his  ranch  in  a  single  year  would  have  been  worth  $50,000  to  him. 

When  irrigation  was  first  established  in  the  Pecos  Valley 
it  was  believed  that  cattle  could  not  be  profitably  fed  for  market. 
It  was  stated  that,  after  the  first  year  or  two,  steers  do  not  make 
the  bone  that  they  make  on  the  stronger  grasses  of  the  North- 
west. Corn  was  too  dear  to  be  fed.  Experience  with  Kaffir 
corn  has  demonstrated  the  contrary.  Mr.  Benson,  Mr.  I.  S. 
Osborne  and  others  fed  steers  profitably  in  1900  and  will  con- 
tinue to  do  so  annually. 

Of  the  many  fine  ranches  in  the  Pecos  Valley,  the  Chis- 
holm, eight  miles  southeast  of  Roswell,  is  one  of  the  finest. 
There,  stock-breeding  is  reduced  to  a  profit-paying  business. 
A  recent  visitor  to  the  ranch  describes  the  conditions  which  he 
found  there  as  follows :  "  The  element  of  chance  has  but  little 
to  do  with  the  results  attained.  The  aim  of  the  management  is 
to  raise,  chiefly,  fine  hogs  and  to  make  it  pay.  To  be  able  t^  do 
this  they  located  on  eight  hundred  acres  of  the  most  fertile  land 
in  the  Pecos  Valley.  Fifty  acres  of  this  was  divided  into  five  ten- 
acre  hog  pastures  (fenced  with  five  miles  of  wire  net  fencing) 
which  had  been  planted  in  alfalfa  when  operated  by  a  previous 
owner.  One  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  were  planted  in 
Kaffir  corn.  When  there  was  no  rain,  water  from  the  irriga- 
tion ditches  was  turned  on  the  meadows  and  -fields,  and  the  crops 
continued  to  grow.  Three  cuttings  of  alfalfa  have  been  made, 
with  an  average  of  two  and  one-half  tons  to  the  acre.  The 
Kaffir  corn  will  yield  about  forty  bushels  to  the  acre,  if  not  more. 
On  the  alfalfa  meadows  nine  hundred  head  of  Poland-China  sows 
and  pigs,  from  the  finest  registered  strains,  have  been  pastured 
most  of  the  time.  The  pig  crop  has  reached  a  high  per  cent,  as  the 
precaution  taken  to  prevent  disease  is  so  great  that  there  has  been 
none  whatever.  A  small  truck  garden  furnishes  vegetables  in 
plenty  for  the  household  and  the  nine  hands  who  work  on  the 
ranch,  and  besides  this  a  wagon  hauls  about  $10  worth  each  day 
to  Roswell.  An  abundance  of  fruit  is  grown  in  the  orchard,  and 
the  large  apple  crop  sold  this  year  will  bring  handsome  returns." 

At  the  Vineyard  Stock  Farm,  owned  and  operated  by  George 

35 


Concerning  the  Noted  Vineyard  Stock  Farm. 

H.  Webster,  Jr.,  and  located  about  three  miles  south  of  Carlsbad, 
there  has  been  established  one  of  the  most  complete  and  profitable 
ranches  in  the  whole  district.  Mr.  Webster's  specialty  is  the 
raising  of  spring  lambs  for  the  market,  and  he  has  brought  that 
business  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection.  The  visitor  finds  this 
ranch  a  most  attractive  place,  so  well  kept  are  the  numerous 
large  ranch  buildings,  the  handsomely  furnished  residence,  the 
wide-spreading  alfalfa  fields  and  the  multitude  of  lambs  them- 
selves. Ample  barns,  corn  cribs,  ranch  quarters,  windmills, 
reservoirs  and  feeding  pens  form  the  material  equipment  of  this 
model  place. 

Mr.  Webster's  experience  in  the  winter  feeding  of  lambs 
proved  that  he  could  finish  the  product  in  shorter  time  and  with 
nearly  one-third  less  corn  for  fattening,  and  infinitely  less  loss, 
than  the  feeders  of  Colorado,  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  He  gives 
it  as  his  opinion  that  lambs  can  be  fed  in  the  Pecos  Valley  with 
less  risk  than  in  any  other  section  of  the  country,  and  that  hogs 
and  cattle  should  be  equally  well  handled. 

In  response  to  a  query  for  definite  information,  Mr.  Webster 
wrote  as  follows  from  the  Vineyard  Stock  Farm : 

"August  30,  1901. 

"  DEAR  SIR, —  In  reply  to  your  recent  request  for  some  details 
about  the  lamb-feeding  experiment  conducted  at  this  farm  last 
winter,  I  will  state  that  on  November  15,  last,  we  placed  in  open 
feed  lots  on  the  Vineyard  Stock  Farm  about  3,700  head  of 
lambs;  1,600  of  these  were  Shropshire  crosses  on  New  Mexican 
ewes,  the  balance  were  Merino  grades.  All  were  bred  and 
raised  on  the  range  about  this  valley.  The  lambs  were  dipped 
thoroughly  before  entering  the  feed  lots.  They  were  at  once 
started  on  rations  of  milo  maize,  with  a  little  bran  in  it,  and  all  the 
alfalfa  hay  they  would  eat.  Plenty  of  salt  and  clean  water  was 
always  before  them.  The  water  was  pumped  by  windmills  a 
depth  of  125  feet,  and  was  of  good  quality.  The  usual  so-called 
Fort  Collins  method  of  feeding  was  practiced  —  a  feed  of  corn 
early  in  the  morning  and  another  each  evening,  always  at  the 
same  hour.  Alfalfa  hay  was  kept  before  them  at  all  times,  but 
they  were  made  to  clean  it  up  well.  Milo  maize  was  employed 

36 


Record  of  a  Shipment  of  Lambs. 

in  preference  to  Kaffir  corn,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  much  softer 
and  has  a  larger  kernel,  which  renders  it  more  easily  masticated 
and  digestible.  I  consider,  too,  that  it  has  a  relatively  higher 
nutritive  value  than  Kaffir,  and  in  this  valley  it  is  less  disturbed 
by  birds  during  ripening  than  the  more  erect  Kaffir,  while  the 
yield  is  quite  equal  to  either  of  the  other  varieties  mentioned. 

"  These  lambs  took  readily  to  feed,  and  as  our  winters  here  are 
always  mild  and  open,  no  snow  or  high  winds  occurring  at  any 
time,  the  progress  was  almost  phenomenal.  Our  lambs  were  easily 
worked  up  to  full  feed  and  held  at  about  one  and  a  half  pounds 
of  corn  per  day  until  finished.  During  the  entire  feeding  period 
our  total  loss  from  all  causes  amounted  to  eighteen  head  out  of 
3,700.  We  experienced  no  loss  from  indigestion,  a  very  inter- 
esting point,  as  the  exclusive  feeding  of  milo  maize  was  wholly 
experimental.  On  February  15,  just  ninety  days  after  being 
placed  on  feed,  they  were  consigned  to  Clay,  Robinson  &  Co.,  at 
Kansas  City,  where  they  arrived  without  loss  or  inconvenience 


Operations  Profitable  and  Satisfactory. 

and  with  a  shrinkage  of  not  full  three  pounds  per  head,  despite 
the  haul  of  nine  hundred  miles. 

"  These  lambs  sold  well  and  weighed  over  eighty  pounds  in 
Kansas  City.  A  week  later  we  consigned  over  one  thousand 
Shropshire  crosses,  which  had  been  sheared  and  dipped  ten  days 
previously.  This  lot  reached  market  in  fine  condition  and 
weighed  eighty-six  pounds  average  in  Kansas  City.  They  topped 
all  markets  for  this  year  on  shorn  lambs,  selling  within  ten  cents 
of  the  highest  price  paid  for  the  best  Colorado  wooled  lambs. 
We  obtained  an  average  of  five  pounds  of  wool  from  each  lamb 
in  addition1.  The  balance  of  our  lambs  followed  rapidly,  and  we 
had  shipped  our  entire  flock  within  one  hundred  and  fifteen  days 
and  succeeded  in  "  topping "  the  market  on  this  occasion  with 
them.  The  killing  test  at  Kansas  City  ranged  as  high  as  fifty- 
four  per  cent,  and  the  flesh  was  pronounced  fully  equal  to  the 
finest  Indian  corn-fed  lamb. 

"  In  conclusion,  our  operations  were  profitable  and  satis- 
factory. We  believe  that  we  have  established  here  in  the  Pecos 
Valley  an  exceedingly  profitable  industry  and  one  which  should 
easily  place  this  section,  with  its  numerous  climatic  and  other 
advantages,  in  the  foremost  rank  of  lamb-feeding  sections.  The 
fact  that  there  are  thousands  of  well-graded  and  thoroughly 
acclimated  lambs  on  the  ranges  all  about  us  which  can  be  pur- 
chased, delivered  at  our  yards,  at  reasonable  prices,  the  absence 


Hagerman'' s  Ranch. 

38 


One=third  Less  Feed  Required. 

of  nearly  all  disease,  the  mild,  dry  and  magnificent  winter  cli- 
mate, the  entire  absence  of  crop  failures  under  our  irrigation 
system  and  the  uniformly  large  yield  per  acre  of  hay  and  corn, 
offer,  in  our  opinion,  a  proposition  for  the  feeder  which  can  not 
easily  be  excelled  anywhere  in  this  country.  Trusting  the  above 
matter  will  cover  the  information  desired,  and  awaiting  your 
further  pleasure,  I  am,  Yours  very  truly, 

"  GEORGE  H.  WEBSTER,  JR." 

In  an  interview  on  the  same  subject,  Mr.  Webster  spoke  as 
follows :  "  Our  experience  has  proven  conclusively  to  me  that 
the  Shropshire  and  kindred  breeds  of  mutton  sheep  are  the  ones 
that  should  be  grown  more  extensively  by  Pecos  Valley  sheep 
men,  as  there  is  much  more  money  for  them  in  the  meat  than  in 
the  wool.  Big-framed  Shropshires,  with  light  wool  and  much 
avoirdupois,  are  worth  50  cents  more  per  head  than  the  ordinary 
merino  range  sheep.  It  has  been  my  object  to  so  develop  this 
property  that  it  might  produce  the  greatest  possible  amount  of 
alfalfa  and  corn,  and  to  that  end  we  have  this  year  planted  more 
than  1,200  acres  in  these  crops.  There  can  no  longer  be  any 
doubt  as  to  the  superior  advantages  in  this  locality  for  the  suc- 
cessful fattening  and  marketing  of  live  stock.  The  free  range 
enables  us  to  grow  our  own  feeders  at  a  comparatively  low  cost. 
The  climate  is  salubrious,  there  being  no  heavy  snows  or  fierce 
north  winds  and  extreme  cold,  and  the  water  is  abundant  and 
good.  El  Paso,  Fort  Worth  and  Los  Angeles  to  the  south  and 
west,  and  Kansas  City,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago  on  the  north, 
give  us  ample  markets,  and  our  railroad  service,  so  far  as  my 
experience  is  concerned,  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired. 

"  I  had  employed  all  the  season  an  experienced  feeder  from 
Rocky  Ford,  Colorado,  and  he  stated  that  lambs  could  be  finished 
off  here  on  one-third  less  corn  than  in  Colorado  and  other  north- 
ern feeding  points,  owing  principally  to  the  mildness  of  the 
winter.  Additionally,  this  same  mildness  of  weather  cuts  a  big 
figure  in  the  economy  of  feeding,  as  it  is  unnecessary  to  build 
costly  storm  shelters  as  in  the  North,  and  the  percentage  of  winter 
losses  in  this  section  is  practically  nothing.  I  am  preparing  to 
feed  about  5,000  lambs  next  winter,  and  have  acquired  a  largely 

39 


Some  Other  Famous  Stock  Ranches. 

increased  acreage  for  the  growing  of  feed,  which  will  consist 
principally  of  milo  maize  and  alfalfa.  Nowhere  in  America  can 
you  find  a  more  perfect  combination  of  climate,  water  and  cheap 
feedstuffs  than  is  afforded  in  the  Pecos  Valley." 

The  following  extracts  from  the  Live  Stock  Report,  of  March 
14,  1901,  issued  by  Clay,  Robinson  &  Co.,  Chicago,  Illinois,  with 
reference  to  Mr.  Webster's  first  shipment,  need  no  comment: 

"  Our  sale  to-day  of  the  George  H.  Webster  shorn  lambs  fed 
at  Carlsbad,  New  Mexico,  was  the  first  clipped  stock  this  season, 
and  we  obtained  the  highest  price  paid  at  any  market  so  far,  $5 
straight  for  the  lot." 

"  Our  Kansas  City  house  sold  yesterday  for  George  H. 
Webster,  235  clipped  lambs  averaging  eighty-six  pounds,  at  $5, 
the  highest  price  paid  for  shorn  lambs  on  any  market  this  season. 
They  were  fed  at  Carlsbad,  New  Mexico,  on  Kaffir  corn  and 
alfalfa.  The  price  is  equal  to  $5.45  in  the  fleece." 

At  the  Bolles  Farm,  W.  P.  Mclntosh,  Jr.,  manager,  760  acres, 
six  miles  south  of  Carlsbad,  old  range  cows,  too  poor  to  winter 
the  range,  are  bought  in  the  fall  and  wintered  through  on  alfalfa, 
to  go  fat  to  the  block  or  to  produce  calves,  thrifty  and  healthy, 
worth  from  $2  to  $5  per  head  more  than  those  of  their  less 
fortunate  companions.  I.  S.  Osborne,  on  his  1,100  acres,  confines 
his  attention  to  fattening  mature  steers,  at  an  average  profit  in 
three  months  on  alfalfa  pasture  and  some  rough  fodder  of  $10 
per  head. 

The  accounts  of  large  stock  ranches  in  the  Pecos  Valley  might 
be  extended  indefinitely,  in  order  to  emphasize  the  conditions 
which  have  been  described  already,  if  space  would  permit.  It 
is  only  possible,  however,  to  speak  briefly  of  a  few  of  the  other 
more  noteworthy  ranches.  One  of  the  finest  irrigated  farms  and 
fine  stock  ranches  is  that  of  the  Milne  &  Bush  Land  &  Cattle 
Company,  of  which  W.  M.  Atkinson  is  manager.  It  contains 
13,400  acres  of  patented  land  in  one  solid  body,  beginning  two 
miles  from  the  courthouse  at  Roswell.  About  ten  thousand  acres 
of  this  have  been  fenced  and  cut  up  into  twenty-seven  different 
inclosures  and  pastures,  each  of  which  is  watered  by  ever- 
lasting spring  streams  and  irrigation  ditches.  About  550  acres 


A  Big  Shipment  of  High=Grade  Steers. 

are  in  cultivation,  most  of  it  in  alfalfa,  and  there  is  an  orchard 
of  400  bearing  fruit  trees.  All  improvements  are  of  the  highest 
character.  The  ranch  is  devoted  to  the  breeding  of  Hereford 
cattle,  and  the  stock  here  produced  is  of  the  most  famous  strains. 
Beef  from  the  Milne-Bush  herds  brings  the  highest  prices  in  the 
Kansas  City  and  Chicago  market. 

One  of  the  most  noteworthy  examples  of  industry  in  this  line 
is  the  now  well-known  "  Hereford  Home  "  of  C.  C.  and  George  M. 
Slaughter,  one  thousand  acres  of  rich  alfalfa  pasture  and  farm 
land  in  the  irrigated  district  near  Roswell,  where  they  maintain 
a  large  herd  of  thoroughbred  Herefords,  headed  by  the  World's 
Fair  prize  bull,  "Ancient  Briton,"  and  another  famous  sire,  "  Sir 
Bredwell,"  said  to  be- one  of  the  highest-priced  ever  brought  into 
this  country.  This  ranch  is  maintained  mostly  for  the  purpose  of 
grading  up  the  great  Texas  herds  of  the  Slaughter  family  and  as  a 
reinforcement  in  preparing  the  finer  young  stock  for  the  range  and 
the  older  stock  for  market.  It  has  proven  a  most  excellent  invest- 
ment and  its  success  is  said  by  its  owners  to  be  entirely  due  to  the 
advantages  of  climate  and  soil  afforded  by  the  Pecos  Valley. 

In  June,  1902,  upward  of  5,300  two-year-old  steers  were  sold 
from  the  Slaughter  Ranch  for  shipment  to  Montana,  being  the 
largest  delivery  of  that  class  of  cattle  bearing  one  brand  ever 
made  in  this  section.  It  comprised  2,000  white-face  Herefords, 
chiefly  the  descendants  of  Ancient  Briton.  Cattle  experts  pro- 


Trainor's  Ranch. 
41 


There  Is  Room  for  Hundreds  More. 

nounced  this  the  greatest  herd  of  range  steers  of  one  age  ever 
brought  together. 

Other  cattle  ranches  near  Roswell,  also  very  highly  improved, 
are  the  Otis  Ranch  and  the  De  Bremond  Ranch;  the  former  is 
owned  by  a  Cleveland,  Ohio,  capitalist. 

The  name  of  the  Littlefield  Cattle  Company,  with  its  famous 
"  L.  F.  D."  brand,  which  is  burned  in  the  hide  of  almost  countless 
thousands  of  range  cattle  roaming  all  over  the  Southwest,  is 
known  to  every  cattle  dealer  in  the  United  States.  Major  Little- 
field  is  probably  the  largest  individual  landowner  in  the  United 
States,  with  ranch  and  farm  holdings  aggregating  about  1,250,000 
acres.  The  cattle  in  his  herds  vary  from  70,000  to  80,000  head. 
The  larger  part  of  his  holdings  are  in  Texas,  but  the  headquarters 
of  the  company  are  in  Roswell,  and  of  all  his  land  and  possessions, 
he  takes  the  greatest  pride  in  a  farm  of  1,200  acres  near  that  town. 
The  farm  is  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  brings  in  a  big 
annual  revenue.  A  sixty-five-acre  apple  orchard  is  one  of  the 


An  Orchard  near  Carlsbad. 


Large  Capital  Not  Necessary  to  Success. 

profitable  tracts  on  this  farm,  and  his  finest  cattle  are  bred  here 
and  fattened  on  the  alfalfa  and  grain  produced. 

The  foregoing  examples  of  feeding  on  a  large  scale  are  given  as 
typical  of  what  can  be  accomplished  by  brains  and  capital  under 
the  favorable  climatic  and  soil  conditions  of  the  Pecos  Valley. 
What  these  men  are  doing  is  being  done  by  dozens  of  others  on  a 
smaller  scale.  There  is  room  for  hundreds  more.  The  demand  for 
high-grade  bulls  and  bucks  for  the  improvement  of  range  stock 
is  practically  unlimited,  and  will  always  exist.  No  breeding  of  this 
sort  can  be  done  on  the  range  itself,  for  without  enclosed  pastures 
definite  results  can  not  be  accomplished.  Highly  bred  bulls  must 
be  cared  for  and  fed  during  the  winter  months.  The  average  cow- 
man prefers  to  hire  this  done  rather  than  raise  the  feed  himself. 

R.  N.  Graham,  land  and  cattle  broker,  of  Fort  Worth,  Texas, 
writes  as  follows  after  a  journey  into  this  favored  region :  "  I 
want  to  thank  you  for  a  most  pleasant  trip  up  the  Pecos  Valley 
and  at  the  same  time  inform  you  that  I  have  a  slight  attack  of 
'Alfalfa  Irrigated  Fine  Stock  Farm '  fever  myself  and  am  thinking 
seriously  of  starting  a  herd  somewhere  in  the  valley  soon.  I  have 
also  given  the  fever  to  at  least  a  half  a  dozen  of  our  fancy  stock- 
growers,  and  we  are  planning  a  trip  up  there  for  the  early  part  of 
July.  I  never  in  all  my  life  saw  such  a  pretty  country  before, 
and  the  possibilities  of  the  Pecos  Valley,  when  settled  up  by  peo- 
ple who  know  best  how  to  utilize  its  products,  are  beyond  compre- 
hension. I  predict  that  in  less  than  ten  years'  time  this  great  Pecos 
Valley  country  will  be  the  garden  spot  of  America." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  have  large  capital  to  make  a  success  in 
this  country.  It  is  emphatically  a  good  country  for  the  man  of 
small  means.  Many  of  the  farmers  owning  only  forty  acres  have 
sixty  to  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  sell  all  their  corn  and  their 
alfalfa  hay.  The  outside  range,  alfalfa  pasture  and  corn  fodder 
support  their  herds.  Steers  and  farm  products,  poultry,  eggs  and 
bees  pay  all  their  living  expenses,  and  the  increase  in  heifers  and 
the  sale  of  their  best  young  bulls  represent  clear  profit,  while  the 
increasing  value  of  their  land  offers  safe  insurance  for  old  age. 

J.  H.  Charless,  a  prominent  stockman  of  Roswell,  says  that 
the  time  is  but  a  very  few  years  distant  when  the  Pecos  Valley 

43 


Fruit,  the  Pride  of  the  Pecos  Valley. 

around  Roswell  and  Carlsbad  will  send  to  Eastern  butcher  blocks 
50,000  head  of  home-fattened  three-year-old  steers  and  at  least 
100,000  home-fattened  muttons.  The  two  great  factors  that  will 
bring  about  this  result,  according  to  Mr.  Charless,  are  the  luxu- 
riant growth  of  alfalfa  in  the  valley  and  the  short  haul  and  cheap 
shipment  of  corn  from  Kansas  over  the  Pecos  Valley  Lines  of  the 
Santa  Fe  System.  Alfalfa  produced  last  year  five  cuttings,  with 
an  aggregate  of  six  tons  per  acre.  The  home  fattening  of  a  three- 
year-old  native  Pecos  Valley  beef  steer,  of  Hereford  or  Shorthorn 
strain,  will  consume  alfalfa  and  corn  in  equal  fattening  propor- 
tions, the  cost  for  such  feeding,  conservatively  stated,  being  from 
$20  to  $25,  with  a  freight  rate  to  market  of  $3  a  head.  One  of 
these  home-fattened  Pecos  Valley  three-year-old  steers  will  weigh 
out  in  the  Eastern  markets  at  an  average  of  1,200  pounds,  and  will 
bring  from  $55  to  $60  per  head.  Eastern  market  home-fed  mutton 
can  be  placed  in  proportion  at  a  similar  rate  of  profit. 

The  pride  of  the  Pecos  Valley  is  its  fruit.  Apples,  pears, 
peaches,  plums,  prunes,  cherries,  quinces,  strawberries  and  grapes 
can  be  produced  here  in  profusion,  of  the  largest  size,  the  high- 
est coloring  and  the  most  perfect  flavors,.  Owing  to  the  altitude 
and  the  climate,  Pecos  Valley  fruits  come  into  the  market  at 
least  two  weeks  earlier  than  any  that  could  compete  with  them, 
and  thus  are  assured  of  obtaining  the  highest  prices.  Up  to  the 
present,  there  has  been  an  entire  absence  of  any  pests  to  trouble 
fruit  in  the  valley,  a  condition  probably  not  found  in  any  other 
locality  in  the  United  States.  The  fifteen-year-old  orchards  at 
Roswell  have  borne  eleven  successive  crops  of  perfect  fruit,  the 
same  being  entirely  free  from  worms  or  insect  punctures  of  any 
kind. 

The  specialty  of  fruit  growers  in  Chaves  county,  where  the 
oldest  orchards  are,  is  apples,  while  in  Eddy  county  chief  atten- 
tion is  being  paid  to  peaches.  The  latter  county  being  to  the 
southward,  the  peaches  are  not  subject  to  the  possibility  of  late 
frosts.  The  Pecos  Valley  apple  is  a  star  in  the  Northern  market 
for  size,  beauty,  flavor  and  condition.  It  is  recognized  that,  acre 
for  acre,  an  apple  orchard  is  more  profitable  than  an  orange 
grove.  Bartlett  pears,  too,  are  proving  a  peculiarly  valuable 

44 


Great  Apple  Orchards,  and  Their  Products. 

crop  here.  These  facts  have  made  fruit-growing  attractive  to 
a  great  many,  and  the  acreage  in  orchards  in  Chaves  county  is 
very  large.  Buyers  from  Northern  and  Eastern  commission 
houses  are  always  on  hand  at  Roswell  during  the  season,  and 
the  apple  crops  in  all  the  orchards  that  offer  them  for  sale  are 
disposed  of  to  the  best  advantage.  The  prices  paid  ordinarily 
range  from  95  cents  to  $1.50  per  hundred  pounds,  on  the  trees, 
the  buyer  to  gather  and  ship  the  apples  at  his  own  expense. 

The  largest  orchard  in  the  valley  is  that  of  J.  J.  Hagerman, 
on  the  Chisum  ranch,  a  few  miles  south  of  Roswell.  Mr.  Hager- 
man, the  famous  railway  builder,  mine  operator  and  banker  of 
Colorado  Springs,  has  a  large  ranch  of  several  thousand  acres 
at  this  point,  on  which  he  has  planted  an  orchard  of  five  hundred 
acres  of  apples.  He  has  transferred  his  residence  and  his  chief 
interests  from  Colorado  Springs  to  the  Pecos  Valley,  after  years 
of  intimate  association  with  the  climate  and  conditions  of  both 
regions,  and  is  concentrating  his  attention  upon  this  splendid 
orchard. 

The  following  quotation  from  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Pecos 
Valley  Orchard  Company,  of  Roswell,  by  Moore  &  Sames,  the 
fruit  commission  merchants  of  Texas,  testifies  to  the  quality  of 
this  fruit :  "  The  car  of  apples  we  purchased  of  you  were  as  fine 
as  we  have  ever  received  from  anywhere  in  the  United  States, 
and  we  have  received  apples  from  almost  all  over  the  country, 
from  Oregon  to  New  England.  Notwithstanding  the  trade  was 
well  supplied,  when  the  car  arrived  we  found  ready  buyers  for 
it  and  the  car  was  sold  the  day  it  arrived,  and  we  could  have  dis- 
posed of  twice  as  many  more  of  the  same  quality.  If  you  can 
offer  us  as  good  fruit  another  season,  we  can  handle  twenty-five 
or  thirty  cars  and  will  pay  you  as  much  for  them  as  any  apples 
will  bring.*  The  price  we  paid  you  this  year  is,  we  believe,  the 
highest  price  that  has  been  paid  for  any  apples." 

Mr.  Parker  Earl,  an  authority  on  horticulture,  asserts  that 
this  is  one  of  the  best  —  if  not  the  very  best, —  places  for  peach  cul- 
ture in  America,  both  for  flavor  and  quantity. 

Aside  from  the  commercial  proposition,  the  Pecos  Valley  has 
made  for  itself  a  little  chapter  of  history  in  the  fruit-growing  line 

46 


Pecos  Valley  Fruit  at  the  Pan=American. 

that  should  not  be  omitted  from  this  book.  In  1901  the  people 
of  Chaves  county  made  up  a  car  of  their  products,  at  practically 
no  expense,  and  sent  it  to  the  Pan-American  Exposition  at 
Buffalo  in  charge  of  Mr.  Ava  E.  Page,  who  was  provided  with 
the  sum  of  only  $150  for  expenses,  and  who  was  in  competition 
with  large  exhibits  from  principal  fruit-growing  districts  in  Cal- 
ifornia, Colorado,  Washington,  Missouri  and  New  York.  I 
have  before  me  letters  of  notification  from  the  director-general 
of  the  exposition  to  Mr.  Page,  showing  that  this  small  exhibit 
from  a  single  county  won  the  following  awards : 

Chaves  county,  general  display  apples,  pears  and  plums,  gold 
medal. 

J.  J.  Hagerman,  Roswell,  display  apples,  gold  medal. 

A.  E.  Goetz,  Roswell,  display  apples  and  pears,  bronze  medal. 

George  Stevens,  Roswell,  display  apples  and  pears,  bronze 
medal. 

J.  P.  White,  Roswell,  display  apples,  bronze  medal. 


Melons  in  the  Valley. 

47 


The  Governor's  Report  on  Fruits. 

Samuel  Brown,  Roswell,  display  prunes,  diploma. 

Mrs.  A.  C.  Rodgers,  Roswell,  display  apples,  diploma. 

Mr.  Fuqua,  Roswell,  display  apples,  diploma. 

Harry  Hamilton,  Roswell,  display  apples,  diploma. 

D.  Mortimar  Downs,  Roswell,  display  pears,  diploma. 

Governor  Otero,  in  a  report  which  he  submitted  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Interior  in  1900,  speaks  as  follows  of  the  fruit  of 
Eddy  county: 

"All  fruits  are  absolutely  free  from  worms.  Experience  has 
taught  that  care  must  be  taken  to  choose  the  late-blooming 
varieties  of  pears,  peaches  and  plums.  Orchards  are  now  old 
enough  here  and  in  Chaves  county  to  be  a  guide  in  choosing 
the  most  productive  and  profitable  varieties  for  new  plantations. 

"  The  enormous  fruit  crop  of  Eddy  county  in  1900  proved  that 
ready  markets  for  first-class  fruit  can  be  found  even  in  years 
of  universal  productiveness.  At  a  time  when  many  peaches  were 
not  bringing  freight  charges,  carload  lots  of  Carlsbad  peaches 


. 


A   Weeping  Willow. 


Some  Testimonials  about  Valley  Peaches. 

sold  at  55  cents  net,  f.  o.  b.  cars  at  home,  for  California  twenty- 
pound  boxes,  and  not.  a  box  of  perfect  fruit  brought  less  than  50 
cents. 

"  The  world  is  the  market  for  such  fruit,  and  its  shipping 
qualities  carry  it  safely  anywhere  within  reason. 

"  In  1900,  $4,800  worth  of  peaches  were  sold  from  one  orchard 
containing  less  than  1,500  bearing  trees. 

"Apple  and  pear  trees  are  not  yet  old  enough  for  comparison, 
but  this  year's  figures  from  Chaves  county,  the  neighboring 
county  to  the  north,  will  demonstrate  what  can  be  done. 

"  Rocky  Ford  cantaloupe  are  grown  commercially  for  the  first 
time  this  year.  The  flavor  is  equal  to  the  original  article,  the 
carrying  capacity  is  .from  two  to  four  days  longer,  while  the 
earlier  season  and  the  fact  that  it  can  be  prolonged  to  October 
20,  date  of  first  known  frost,  assures  the  best  of  prices." 

This  year's  crop  of  Chaves  county  apples  was  sold  at  3  cents 
per  pound  on  the  trees,  while  Eddy  county  peaches  brought  $1.25 
per  California  twenty-pound  box,  f.  o.  b.  Carlsbad. 

Here  are  a  few  unsolicited  and  disinterested  testimonials  as 
to  quality: 

"  ST.   PAUL,  MINN.,  August  6,  1900. 

"  Car  of  peaches  that  arrived  to-day  was  the  finest  car  of 
peaches  ever  received  in  my  thirty  years'  experience. 
"  (Signed)  A.  W.  FISK, 

"  Of  A.  W.  FISK  &  Co.,  Kansas  City." 

"TRINIDAD,  COLO.,  August  18,  1900. 

"  Regarding  peaches,  can  handle  all  that  you  can  send  as  high 
as  twenty-five  boxes  daily.  Our  Colorados  are  coming  in  quite 
plentifully  now,  but  not  up  to  your  quality.  We  think  we  can 
hold  our  trade  even  at  the  figure  of  your  cost  as  long  as  the 
quality  remains.  Kindly  advise  what  we  may  expect,  so  we  can 
figure  on  enough  Colorado  to  help  us  out.  We  want  your 
peaches.  THE  GERARDI  MERCANTILE  COMPANY, 

"  Imported,  Fancy  and  Staple  Groceries." 

"  Grand  Junction,  Colorado,  will  have  to  look  out  or  it  will 
lose  its  laurels,  as  the  peaches  at  Carlsbad,  New  Mexico,  in  the 

49 


An  Address  of  Congratulation. 

Pecos  Valley,  are  the  finest  raised  in  the  United  States." — From 
the  Kansas  City  Packer,  editorial  page,  August  18,  1900. 

"  TRINIDAD,  COLO.,  July  15,  1901. 

"  We  want  your  peaches  again  this  year.  We  can  use  up  to 
forty  boxes  a  day.  THE  GERARDI  MERCANTILE  COMPANY." 

Melons  of  all  descriptions  reach  perfection  in  an  arid  climate. 
Cantaloupe  were  shipped  commercially  from  the  valley  for  the 
first  time  in  1900.  Some  six  hundred  acres  were  planted  the  next 
year,  chiefly  at  Barstow  and  Roswell.  Shipments  also  were  made 
from  Florence,  where  the  acreage,  though  small,  yielded  most 
satisfactory  results.  The  quality  of  Pecos  Valley  melons  is  quite 
equal  to  the  Rocky  Ford  product,  while  the  carrying  capacity  is 
several  days  better  and  the  season  both  earlier  and  later.  Mr. 
H.  Woods,  127  South  Water  street,  Chicago,  Illinois,  the  well- 
known  cantaloupe  commission  man,  handled  the  product  and 
will  gladly  answer  any  inquiries.  Mutual  associations  have  been 
formed  in  the  different  valley  towns  in  order  to  market  these 
melons  in  the  great  Northern  and  Eastern  cities,  and  all  melons 
shipped  out  of  the  valley  are  conspicuously  labeled  as  a  Pecos 
Valley  product. 

Judge  J.  S.  Emery,  formerly  national  lecturer  of  the  National 
Irrigation  Congress,  spoke  as  follows  in  an  address  to  the 
people  of  Carlsbad :  "  Scholars,  physicians  and  sociologists  agree 
that  the  altitude  of  about  three  thousand  feet  is  the  most  health- 
ful. I  have  often  made  the  assertion  that  the  climate  of  three  hun- 
dred miles  east  and  west  from  the  foothills  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  one  thousand  miles  south  from  the  British  possessions 
is  the  most  healthful  in  the  United  States.  You  are  in  that  terri- 
tory. In  Kansas,  when  we  have  persons  at  all  feeble,  we  put  them 
in  a  wagon  and  send  them  to  the  plains.  They  live  outdoors, 
just  as  you  can  live  outdoors  most  of  the  time,  and  they  gain 
weight  and  become  strong.  The  climate  of  the  Pecos  Valley  is 
attracting  public  attention.  With  an  American  population  and 
with  your  climate  and  your  water,  you  will  become  a  Kansas 
City  or  a  Missouri  Valley  feeder,  a  pretty  good  place  to  feed, 
because  they  are  large  customers.  I  am  in  the  Kansas  market 
every  week,  and  I  tell  you  that  I  never  saw  finer  apples  there 


An  Interview  with  an  Enthusiast. 

than  I  have  seen  growing  in  this  valley.  I  visited  the  Spring 
Brook  celery  farm.  A  man  could  not  have  made  me  believe  that 
you  could  raise  such  celery  in  the  Pecos  Valley,  because  I  have 
always  been  taught  that  celery  is  to  be  raised  on  sandy  land  alone, 
and  that  you  could  raise  good  celery  only  in  Kalamazoo,  Michi- 
gan. I  had  that  idea  completely  knocked  out  of  me.  I  saw  acres 
of  celery  that  commands  the  highest  price  and  is  regarded  the 
best  in  the  Western  market.  I  saw  cornfields  between  here  and 
Roswell  to-day  that  are  as  good  as  any  cornfields  on  the  Kaw 
bottoms.  It  is  well  known  that  Pecos  Valley  beets  lead  the  world. 
I  visited  fields  south  of  Carlsbad,  and  they  were  as  fine  as  any 
beet-growing  district  can  boast,  while  in  richness  of  sugar  content 
and  purity  they  excel:" 

Mr.  R.  W.  Tansill,  of  Carlsbad,  is  one  of  the  best  authorities 
on  conditions  in  the  valley.  Mr.  Tansill's  health  failed  in  the 
North  some  years  ago,  after  an  energetic  career  as  a  cigar  manu- 
facturer and  dealer.  He  sought  the  Pecos  Valley  for  the  benefit 


The  Roswell  Club, 

1895  and  1899. 
(A  Study  in  Irrigation.) 

51 


Information  about  Vegetable=Raising. 

of  his  health  and  has  made  his  home  at  Carlsbad  for  the  past 
twelve  years.  In  a  recent  interview  he  spoke  in  part  as  follows: 
"  Carlsbad  is  in  a  county  which,  on  its  free  grass  alone,  sustains 
vast  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep.  With  the  alfalfa  and  other  forage 
crops  the  fattening  of  stock  is  an  industry  which  is  rapidly 
developing.  Our  lands  will  produce  four  crops  of  alfalfa  and  from 
eight  to  fifteen  tons  of  sugar  beets  to  the  acre.  The  valley  is  admir- 
ably adapted  to  dairying,  so  that  should  the  settler  decide  to  invest 
in  cows,  he  can  do  so  with  excellent  prospects  of  success.  For 
the  pleasant  occupation  of  keeping  bees  this  valley  of  the  West 
is  admirably  adapted,  as  the  alfalfa  bloom  makes  honey  of  the 
finest  quality.  Gardening  is  carried  on  very  profitably,  including 
celery,  which  is  superior  to  the  famous  Kalamazoo  celery.  In  fact, 
Pecos  Valley  vegetables  command  top  prices  wherever  they  come 
in  competition  with  the  products  of  other  sections.  Owing  to 
the  abundance  of  mineral  salts  in  the  soil,  asparagus  attains  its 
highest  perfection  in  the  Pecos  Valley,  and  is  a  weed  frequently 
difficult  to  keep  down  along  the  irrigation  ditches.  A  fortune 


On  Lake  McMillan. 
52 


An   Experience  with  Fruit.     Mr.  Bryan  says: 

awaits  the  man  who  will  make  a  specialty  of  raising  and  canning 
asparagus  for  Eastern  markets,  for  it  can  be  produced  cheaper 
here  than  elsewhere.  The  superior  quality  of  the  fruit  of  the  Pecos 
country  is  acknowledged.  The  same  may  be  said  of  cauliflower. 
As  is  known,  our  exhibit  took  the  first  premium  at  the  Dallas 
State  Fair  and  the  gold  medal  at  the  Omaha  Exposition.  From 
a  climate  and  health  standpoint,  it  is  well  known  that  no  country 
on  earth  offers  the  inducements  to  healthseekers  that  are  found 
here.  There  are  many  healthy  citizens  on  our  streets  who  came 
a  few  years  ago  as  invalids,  who  will  testify  that  the  Pecos  Valley 
is  truly  a  world's  sanitarium." 

The  Dallas  News  recently  printed  an  interview  with  Col.  Rich- 
ard J.  Hinton,  well  known  in  the  United  States  as  the  author  of 
the  first  Government  report  on  irrigation,  and  an  authority  on 
all  irrigation  regions.  He  had  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  the 
Pecos  Valley,  where  he  had  been  investigating  fruit  conditions. 
He  related  one  experience  as  follows :  "  Mr.  Sharp,  formerly  of 
Michigan  and  Nebraska,  came  to  Carlsbad  in  1891  before  the 
railroad  was  a  dozen  miles  north  of  Pecos,  Texas.  In  the  section 
of  Carlsbad  known  as  La  Huerta,  he  obtained  fifteen  acres.  He 
then  went  home  and  sold  his  share  of  the  family  place,  bringing 
back  enough  money  to  make  his  improvements  here,  with  a  total 
investment  of  $1,000.  That  is  all  he  put  in  directly.  '  Myself  and 
wife/  Mr.  Sharp  said,  'are  the  owners  to-day  of  thirty-seven 
acres,  twenty-five  of  which  are  in  orchards.  The  land  is  all  paid 
for,  all  in  bearing,  and  the  market  even  in  the  valley  is  sufficient 
to  consume,  at  the  grower's  own  prices,  all  that  is  produced. 
There  are  twenty  acres  in  peach  trees,  early  and  late,  and  about 
five  in  apples,  pears,  prunes,  plums,  nectarines,  cherries,  quinces 
and  mulberries.  To-day  the  place  is  wholly  out  of  debt,  in  excel- 
lent condition.  I  have  only  had  one  partial  peach  failure  since  the 
trees  began  bearing.  In  less  than  ten  years  my  wife  and  I  have 
made  a  fine  home  that  is  worth  as  a  permanency  about  $30,000. 
That  is,  it  will  pay  a  fair  interest  by  its  earnings,  on  that  much 
money,  invested  in  ordinary  commercial  ventures/  " 

Hon.  William  Jennings  Bryan,  after  a  visit  to  the  Pecos 
Valley,  in  an  official  interview,  stated:  "In  my  judgment  the 

53 


The  Dallas  Commercial  Club  Excursion. 

strength  of  a  nation  lies  largely  in  its  agricultural  population,  and 
irrigation  gives  an  opportunity  for  the  development  of  the  very 
highest  class  of  agriculturists.  The  crop  is  certain  where  irriga- 
tion is  practiced,  and  a  small  area  of  land  is  far  more  productive 
than  when  depending  upon  a  capricious  rainfall.  This  invites 
small  holdings,  and  farmers  live  near  together,  so  that  their  chil- 
dren can  have  the  advantage  of  a  social  life,  and  at  the  same  time 
enjoy  superior  school  advantages,  which  are  impossible  where 
farmers  live  a  long  distance  apart.  I  have  been  pleased  to  note 
the  high  standard  of  intelligence  among  your  people,  and  I  expect 
to  see  that  standard  raised  as  the  valley  becomes  more  thickly 
populated.  Carlsbad  and  Roswell  are  fully  up  to  their  surround- 
ings. Your  climate  is  one  of  your  greatest  advantages,  and  while 
I  do  not  care  to  make  any  comparison  with  other  health  resorts, 
I  have  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  before  long  this  valley,  with  its 
bracing  air  and  mild  winters,  will  become  a  sanitarium  for  those 
afflicted  with  the  various  lung  complaints.  Your  latitude  pro- 
tects you  against  the  rigor  of  winter,  while  your  altitude  guards 
you  from  excessive  summer  heat.  Taking  my  visit  as  a  whole, 
considering  the  land  and  products  I  have  seen,  the  magnitude  of 
the  water  supply  and  all  other  features  here,  I  have  no  hesitation 
in  stating  that  the  Pecos  Valley  should  attract  thousands  of 
thrifty  farmers  from  the  thickly  settled  North  and  East." 

In  May,  1902,  a  large  excursion  party,  comprising  members  of 
the  Dallas  (Tex.)  Commercial  Club,  visited  the  Pecos  Valley. 
They  were  entertained  by  the  citizens  of  Carlsbad  and  Roswell. 
They  made  a  careful  inspection  of  the  irrigation  systems  and 
saw  the  principal  ranches  and  orchards.  They  were  delighted  and 
went  away  convinced  that  the  half  had  not  been  told.  The  Dal- 
las News  printed  a  long  account  of  the  outing.  Below  may  be 
found  brief  extracts  from  same : 

"  The  Pecos  Valley  has  really  been  made  to  '  blossom  as  the 
rose/  Thousands  of  acres  of  alfalfa  now  bloom  profusely  there, 
and  in  the  springtime  the  perfume  of  apple  blossoms  is  wafted 
on  the  breeze.  Those  who  have  wrought  the  transformation 
from  an  arid  waste  are  entitled  to  a  high  place  among  the  world's 
benefactors." 

54 


What  They  Saw  at  Carlsbad 

"  The  visitors  said  the  country  was  a  revelation  to  them,  and 
they  meant  it.  Along  the  irrigation  ditches,  constructed  pri- 
marily for  the  purpose  of  making  the  lands  arable,  miles  and 
miles  of  cottonwood  trees  have  been  planted.  Their  generous 
shade  and  the  rushing  of  the  limpid  water  through  the  country 
and  along  the  streets  cools  and  purifies  the  atmosphere.  The 
force  of  the  wind  is  broken  up  and  the  dust  nuisance  practically 
eliminated.  In  the  towns  where  water  is  plenty  the  streets  are 
sprinkled  regularly,  and  in  consequence  the  drives  along  the 
smooth  streets  and  roads  passing  through  archways  of  trees  are 
delightful.  The  homes  are  surrounded  by  beautiful  groves, 
flower  gardens  and  velvety  lawns,  and  in  every  respect  seem  as 
comfortable,  pleasant  and  inviting  as  though  they  were  in 
the  States." 

"After  driving  around  Carlsbad,  with  its  tree-shaded,  hard- 
packed,  gravel  streets,  the  party  was  taken  out  to  Lake  Avalon, 
a  distance  of  six  miles,  most  of  the  way  over  a  turnpike  similar 


Main  Street,  Ro swell. 

55 


The^Party  Among  the  Famous  Ranches. 

to  the  roadways  in  the  city.  Lake  Avalon  is  the  name  given  to 
one  of  the  reservoirs  of  the  Pecos  Valley  Irrigation  Company. 
A  great  dam  across  the  river  backs  the  water  up  into  the  reser- 
voir, affording  a  reserve  supply  against  unusual  conditions.  The 
regular  flow  of  the  river,  however,  is  nearly  always  sufficient  to 
supply  the  irrigation  ditches.  Besides  the  dam  at  Lake  Avalon, 
there  is  another  dam  twelve  miles  further  up  the  river,  and  one 
just  opposite  the  city.  These  works  are  capable  of  furnishing 
water  to  the  entire  valley  for  the  length  covered. 

"  The  entertainment  of  the  visitors  was  under  the  direction 
of  R.  W.  Tansill,  who  has  been  a  leading  spirit  in  the  develop- 
ment of  that  part  of  the  Pecos  Valley.  Mr.  Tansill  is  the  man 
who  invited  the  Dallas  business  men  to  come  to  New  Mexico  and 
see  for  themselves  that  the  wonderful  stories  concerning  the 
Pecos  Valley  were  not  fiction.  After  looking  over  Carlsbad  and 
surrounding  country,  Mayor  Cabell  declared  that  the  half  had 
not  been  told,  while  President  Steinmann,  of  the  Dallas  Commer- 


A  Street  Scene,  Ro swell. 
56 


Points  of  Interest  on  the  Trip. 

cial  Club,  said  that  the  country  was  beyond  his  expectations, 
which  had  been  high,  and  he  expressed  the  hope  that  this  new 
Carlsbad  would  rival  the  famous  Carlsbad  of  Austria." 

"The  party  was  driven  through  splendid  avenues  of  cotton- 
woods  to  the  old  Chisum  ranch  house,  a  few  miles  south  of 
Roswell,  then  past  the  palatial  residence  of  Mr.  Hagerman,  the 
new  Chouses  erected  for  offices  and  the  homes  of  the  superin- 
tendents of  the  various  departments.  As  in  the  Carlsbad  coun- 
try, great  fields  of  alfalfa  were  seen.  The  Hagerman  farm  com- 
prises eight  thousand  acres.  It  is  irrigated  partly  from  the  river 
and  partly  from  light  artesian  wells.  There  are  many  flowing 
artesian  wells  in  the  district.  In  Roswell,  every  house  is  sup- 
plied from  them  and  the  town  has  its  own  system  of  waterworks, 
based  on  hydraulic  rams.  On  the  Hagerman  place  there  are  one 
thousand  acres  of  alfalfa,  which  produces  three  to  four  crops  a 
year.  Large  quantities  of  it  are  purchased  by  the  cattlemen  and 
heavy  shipments  are  made.  There  are  621  acres  of  apple  orchard 
on  the  Hagerman  farm.  Some  of  the  trees  are  twenty  years  old 
and  prolific.  Most  of  them  have  just  begun  to  bear.  Sixty  car- 
loads were  shipped  last  year  and  it  is  expected  that  250  carloads 
will  be  sent  to  market  this  year." 

"  Resuming  the  drive,  the  visitors  passed  a  bee  farm,  where 
$5,000  worth  of  the  busy  insects  are  at  work  gathering  sweets. 
In  the  distance  they  saw  the  big  hog  ranch  owned  by  Cliff  Chis- 
holm,  on  which  there  are  939  brood  sows  —  thoroughbreds  and 
grades  —  and  seven  thousand  pigs.  These  hogs  subsist  on  alfalfa, 
which  is  said  to  be  excellent  feed  for  swine.  The  party  also  went 


Over  the  Treetops,  Carlsbad. 

57 


Opportunities  for  Various  Industries. 

by  the  Otis  Ranch,  an  improved  farm  of  320  acres,  which  was 
recently  sold  for  $56,000.  Another  interesting  place  was  the 
L.  F.  D.  Ranch,  owned  by  the  Littlefield  syndicate.  Further 
along,  the  Slaughter  Ranch  was  reached.  On  this  place,  which 
is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  valley,  great  fields  of  alfalfa  were  seen, 
also  the  splendid  herd  of  thoroughbred  Herefords." 

"As  at  Carlsbad,  water  runs  through  the  streets  of  Roswell, 
and  there  are  avenues  of  trees.  The  driveways  are  splendid.  It 
is  a  smart,  up-to-date  business  town,  and  a  place  of  fine  resi- 
dences. Every  house  in  town  has  an  artesian  well  or  the  right 
to  use  water  from  a  neighbor's  well,  and  all  are  equipped  with 
these  private  water-works.  There  are  windmills  and  hydraulic 
rams  all  over  the  city." 

Farmers,  ranchmen  and  gardeners  are  not  the  only  ones  who 
can  find  profitable  investment  in  the  Pecos  Valley.  There  are 
excellent  opportunities  for  the  establishment  of  various  indus- 
tries to  take  advantage  of  the  productive  quality  of  the  valley 


Fifth  Street,  Roswell. 

58 


Mineral   Wealth ;    Forests;   Hunting    Grounds. 

lands.  A  cannery  for  fruit  and  vegetables  would  be  welcomed 
in  more  than  one  of  the  valley  towns,  and  while  affording  a  market 
at  all  times  for  the  garden  products,  would  be  a  certain  source  of 
revenue  to  its  owner.  Dairies,  too,  are  needed  in  the  valley,  and 
while  stimulating  the  breeding  of  milk  cows,  would  find  large 
market  for  their  product  of  butter  and  cheese. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  any  region  in  which  the  general 
conditions  of  access,  markets,  climate,  society  and  financial 
promise  unite  in  more  favorable  proportions  than  here  in  the 
Pecos  Valley.  Served  as  it  is  by  an  important  line  of  the  great 
Santa  Fe  System,  which  gives  it  direct  communication  with  the 
more  important  markets  north,  east  and  south,  shipments  are 
made  with  the  utmost  ease. 

Copper  has  been  discovered  in  the  Guadalupe  Mountains, 
southwest  of  Carlsbad,  and  oil  is  being  prospected  for  at  several 
points  along  Pecos  river,  but  neither  industry  has  been  developed 
to  a  point  where  the  future  products  may  safely  be  predicted. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Carlsbad,  lying  six  hundred  feet 
beneath  the  surface,  is  an  enormous  bed  of  pure  rock  salt.  This 
bed  has  been  tapped  at  points  over  three  miles  apart,  and  in  one 
instance  it  was  penetrated  three  hundred  feet  without  passing 
through  it.  Above  it  is  ample  water  with  which  to  dissolve  and 
bring  this  salt  to  the  surface.  There  are  also  vast  beds  of 
gypsum  and  sulphur  which  will  bring  profit  whenever  capital 
exploits  them.  The  mineral  surroundings  of  the  Pecos  Valley, 
therefore,  are  of  the  highest  interest. 

The  Pecos  Valley  is  not  merely  a  place  of  profit  and  prosper- 
ity, but  a  region  where  life  is  interesting  and  health  assured. 
Within  easy  reach  of  the  valley  towns  are  picturesque  mountain 
ranges,  not  all  barren  and  rocky,  but  often  gently  rolling,  with 
grassy  slopes  and  timbered  like  a  park.  They  are  approached 
through  bold  canyons,  and  at  times  the  scenery  becomes  strik- 
ingly magnificent.  The  mountains  are  well  stocked  with  black- 
tailed  deer,  while  the  rocky  canyons  are  the  home  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  sheep  and  bear.  By  changing  location  and  altitude, 
within  a  single  day  the  dweller  in  the  Pecos  Valley  can  obtain 
almost  any  temperature  he  desires,  even  in  the  hottest  weather. 

59 


A  Review  of  Progress  in  the  District. 

Opportunities  for  sport  for  the  invalid  who  does  not  care  to 
work  are  manifold.  An  act  of  the  Legislature  forbids  the  killing 
of  antelope,  deer  and  mountain  sheep  for  five  years.  But  rab- 
bits, quail  and  duck  are  here  by  the  myriads,  snipe  are  on  the 
increase,  and  plover  and  curlew  are  very  numerous  in  the  fall. 
Fishing,  too,  is  excellent.  The  Pecos  has  been  stocked  with 
black  bass,  and  they,  with  trout,  perch  and  catfish,  furnish  the 
angler  with  ample  opportunity  to  test  his  skill.  The  people  of  the 
valley  are  hospitable  to  strangers,  and  friendships  are  formed 
rapidly.  There  is  a  freshness  and  frankness  in  life  in  this  open 
Western  country  that  is  sure  to  be  delightful. 

Twelve  years  ago  the  Pecos  Valley  was  an  undeveloped  plain, 
without  a  railway,  without  irrigation  and,  indeed,  without  settle- 
ment, except  around  the  ranch  houses.  There  were  a  few  sheep  in 
the  country  and  no  cattle  except  the  Texas  long  horns,  now  long 
since  vanished.  Now  windmills  can  be  counted  by  the  hundreds 
all  over  the  ranges,  and  drilling  machines  are  constantly  at  work 


Packing  Apple  s,  Ro swell. 


60 


Terms  on  which   Land  may  be  Obtained. 

finding  new  water  and  developing  new  grass.  Live-stock  inter- 
ests have  increased  until  30,000  cattle  and  2,000,000  pounds  of  wool 
are  shipped  from  the  valley  annually.  Eddy  county  increased  in 
its  assessed  value  last  year  by  a  greater  amount  than  any  other 
county  in  the  territory,  while  Chaves  county  conies  second  in 
increase.  In  assessed  value  per  capita,  Chaves  county  stands 
first  in  the  list,  with  $544,  and  Eddy  county  third,  with  $513. 
This  is  a  fine  showing  for  counties  hardly  twelve  years  old. 
The  bonded  indebtedness  is  small  and  the  tax  rates  low.  All 
signs  point  to  Statehood  within  the  next  session  of  Congress. 

The  best  estimates  obtainable  for  the  irrigated  lands  of  the 
valley  under  cultivation  show  an  annual  average  value  per  acre,  for 
the  last  year,  of  $18.16.  Several  tracts  of  land  under  cultivation 
could  be  paid  for  by  the  crop  raised  upon  them  in  a  single  year. 

Lands  in  the  valley,  except  those  under  irrigation,  and  those 
occupied  by  actual  settlers,  belong  to  the  United  States,  and  are 
subject  to  entry  under  the  Homestead  and  Desert  Land  laws. 


On  the  Chisum  Ranch. 

61 


Some  Statements  by  Governor  Prince. 

Irrigated  lands  can  be  bought  at  from  $10  to  $75  per  acre, 
according  to  locality  and  improvements.  The  companies  having 
land  and  water  rights  for  sale  desire  primarily  to  place  the  land 
under  cultivation  and  to  settle  the  valley.  Their  disposition  is 
to  be  moderate  in  price  and  very  reasonable  in  terms  of  payment 
to  all  settlers  looking  for  a  location.  The  opportunity  for  acquir- 
ing homes  in  the  Pecos  Valley  is,  therefore,  all  that  can  be  desired 
by  men  of  energy  and  ability,  even  with  only  moderate  means. 

The  Pecos  Valley  alone,  in  all  the  vast  region  from  Abilene 
to  El  Paso,  from  Denver  to  San  Antonio,  affords  the  certainty  of 
unlimited  forage  crops  as  an  insurance  against  drought  and  loss. 
Here  one  acre  of  Kaffir  corn  fodder,  left  standing  in  the  field 
after  the  grain  is  harvested,  will  winter  a  cow  in  good  condition. 
This  being  true,  it  is  small  wonder  that  many  farmers  are  turn- 
ing toward  the  land  where  winter  does  not  blight  everything  and 
demand  the  whole  year's  work  to  keep  the  stock  alive. 

In  regard  to  the  quality  of  the  land  titles  in  the  Pecos  Valley, 
the  Hon.  L.  Bradford  Prince,  former  governor  of  New  Mexico, 
writes  as  follows :  "  From  recent  personal  observation,  as  well 
as  from  full  information,  both  official  and  otherwise,  I  am  able  to 
speak  in  a  most  favorable  manner  of  the  Pecos  Valley  as  a  field 
of  immigration.  The  valley  itself  presents  exceptional  advantages 
in  this  regard,  on  account  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  the  peculiar 
excellence  of  the  climate  and  its  never-failing  supply  of  water, 
augmented  by  living  springs,  which  make  it  impossible  to  injure 
the  country  below  by  using  all  the  water  above.  The  companies 
which  control  the  property  and  its  development  are  composed  of 
gentlemen  of  high  standing,  large  resources  and  extraordinary 
energy,  who  are  anxious  in  every  way  to  make  the  settlement  of 
the  valley  a  success  and  add  to  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of 
the  individuals  who  locate  there.  The  titles  are  all  direct  from 
the  United  States,  as  no  Spanish  or  Mexican  grants  exist  in  that 
part  of  New  Mexico,  and  are,  therefore,  perfect  and  undisputed." 

From  Higgins,  in  the  northeast,  to  Portales,  in  the  south- 
west, the  Pecos  Valley  line  of  the  Santa  Fe  System  for  nearly 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  runs  diagonally  across  what  is  known 
as  the  Panhandle  country,  a  great  plateau  area  entirely  devoted, 

62 


Relating  to  the  Panhandle  Country. 

until  recently,  to  stock-raising  and  grazing,  but  of  late  coming 
into  agricultural  development.  It  is  not  a  barren,  waterless 
region,  as  many  suppose.  Here  rise  the  principal  Southwest 
rivers.  Here  are  found  nutritious  grasses  and  here  the  small 
ranchman,  cultivating  the  grasses  and  grains  that  best  thrive 
under  semi-arid  conditions,  is  making  a  home  and  achieving  a 
competence  for  himself.  Flourishing  towns  like  Amarillo,  Can- 
yon City,  Hereford,  Bovina  and  Portales  attest  the  general  pros- 
perity of  what  was  once  a  sparsely  populated  land,  given  over  to 
herds  of  cattle  and  cowboys.  Persons  interested  in  the  Panhandle 
should  consult  a  leaflet  on  that  subject  soon  to  be  issued  by  the 
Santa  Fe. 


Artesian   Well,  Ro swell. 


Ad,  68.     1-29-03,    5M. 


X 


